The Russian Defense Ministry does not expect...
"Russia will have at least 3 million potential draftees in the next few years despite the "demographic hole" [of the 1990s]," said Col. Gen. Vasily Smirnov, the Chief of the Main Organization and Mobilization Directorate of the Russian General Staff.
The Russian military plans to draft about 270,000 eligible young people during the spring 2010 conscription.
The general said Russia had enough people to man its Armed Forces, but the citizens must be taught to respect their constitutional duty to defend the country.
"Many people read the Constitution and see only their rights, which they always want to protect. But they forget about their responsibilities, which are also stipulated there," Smirnov said.
In line with the ongoing military reform, the Russian Armed Forces will be downsized to 1 million personnel by 2016, enlisting 150,000 officers and about 745,000 soldiers.
The length of military service for draftees will remain unchanged at 1 year.