Posted on 11/18/2003 9:21:13 AM PST by knighthawk
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian forces are so poorly equipped they could not launch an offensive war, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov was quoted as saying Tuesday.
Ivanov, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, has spearheaded military reform in Russia and is trying to transform bloated Soviet-style conscript units into a modern professional force.
"Conditions are on an acceptable level only for the fulfillment of nuclear deterrent, counter-terrorist and peace-keeping activities," Ivanov told a meeting of military top brass also attended by Putin, according to Interfax news agency.
Only last month, Ivanov said Russia reserved the right to launch pre-emptive non-nuclear strikes, but his latest comments suggested it would not actually be capable of doing so.
"As a whole, the armed forces are only 75-80 percent equipped with fully functioning ammunition and technology, and of this, modern weapons makes up less than 20 percent."
The armed forces' decline from victors of World War II to what many see as a national disgrace was graphically shown up in 2000, when the Kursk, the country's newest nuclear submarine, sank with the loss of all hands after an onboard explosion.
Ivanov said lack of money, aging equipment and poor training in the air force meant crashes were frequent and not a single Russian air unit was fully operational.
"This year, there have been eight aviation accidents, of which five have been crashes, which have killed 12 people. Seven of the eight were caused by a mistake by the flight team in...using the plane's technology."
But many analysts say Ivanov, who has said combat-ready troops must be fully professional by 2007, is loathe to fully implement reforms as they could cost an extra $1 billion a year and be unpopular with the military leadership, who are losing around a fifth of military personnel.
In the meantime, morale remains low. Bullying is rife among conscripts and young men go to extreme lengths to avoid service. Ivanov was quoted as saying that a third of non-military deaths in the armed forces were suicides.
In an extensive study of conditions in the army published last week and widely reported in Russian media, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said bullying and lack of money meant conscripts were often poorly fed and denied access to medical care.
"Many go hungry or develop serious health problems, including pneumonia and festering sores, as minor health concerns remain untreated," the rights watchdog said.
Putin, meeting military veterans Tuesday, said the government was discussing raising military salaries.
"A lot has been done, but it is still insufficient," Interfax quoted him as saying.
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