Free Republic

KIEV (Reuters) -- More than 12 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian soldiers are once again "comrades." The Ukrainian parliament passed a law Wednesday banning the use of "sir" as an address in the country's armed forces. The law allows soldiers to only use "comrade" when addressing officers and fellow servicemen. The deputies gave no explanation for their decision. "Comrade" was a typical address in the army and throughout society in the Communist era. But Ukraine has tried to replace it with new terms since the end of Soviet rule in 1991.