Poll shows Russians mostly opposed to longer military service

(Interfax – Moscow, 26 November) Most Russians believe that the head of the State Duma Committee for Defence’s initiative to increase the duration of army service to 18 months is unjustified, an opinion poll conducted by Superjob.ru portal has shown.

According to the study, which was carried out among 1,600 respondents on 22-25 November, 44 per cent of Russian citizens do not approve of the proposal to change the duration of army service.

Many among them believe that what should be done is to improve conditions for regular servicemen and the quality of training of military personnel rather than to increase the duration of young men’s training: “It is impossible to train military specialists in one year or 18 months. This has to be done seriously at the level of military schools and other educational institutions”, “Until the prestige of the army has been raised to the proper level, increasing the term of service will only cause negative emotions”. This point of view is held most widely by those participants in the poll who are aged under 24 (59 per cent) and by women (45 per cent).

The share of those who support the introduction of 18-month regular service was 36 per cent. They see this measure as necessary to educate young people. “One year’s service is not serious”, “It has to be increased, because how can spoilt children defend the Motherland?!”, “Let the young learn how easy life in civvy street is, I am very much in favour of increasing the term of service!”. The State Duma initiative is supported above all by men (43 per cent) and people aged 45 and over (45 per cent).

One in five respondents (20 per cent) chose not answer the question.

(Passage omitted: background on the proposal, negative response from the Defence Ministry and the Kremlin – reported earlier)