The head of the Russian Orthodox Church on Tuesday urged young draftees to join the ranks of the army, appealing to their honor as "Orthodox warriors."


The unusual appeal from Patriarch Alexy II was a show of spiritual support for the beleaguered armed forces, which is plagued by widespread draft-dodging.


The army's regular autumn draft is now under way. The Defense Ministry's goal is 224,000 new recruits by the end of the year.


Young recruits have long feared the brutal hazing common in the Russian Army. Harsh living conditions stemming from post-Soviet budget cuts and the Kremlin's 10-month old war in Chechnya have added to the general aversion to military service.


"The time has come for you to join the army ranks to serve the Motherland, to protect and defend it from external and internal enemies and strengthen its might," the patriarch said. "We feel sure that you won't compromise the honor and dignity of the Orthodox warrior."


The patriarch's statement was a sign of the warm relations the church and the army have established since the 1991 Soviet collapse. It was also a rare boost to an armed forces long under fire for its reluctance to create a create a professional, all-volunteer army.


"I hope that the army service, with all its difficulties, will help your spirit mature," the patriarch said. "Your army service will help establish deeper ties between it and the Church for the benefit of Russia and its people."


In more secular quarters, however, the draft call came under sharp fire.


"They just need new soldiers as cannon fodder," reformist lawmaker Ella Pamfilova told a news conference.


She sharply questioned the wisdom of increasing the armed forces ranks at a time when the army can barely feed its soldiers. "Recruits have nothing to eat and wear torn boots," she said. "There is no sense in filling up the barracks with additional hungry soldiers."


A chronic shortage of funds has left many Russian soldiers and their families on the verge of starvation.


The top brass have resisted personnel cutbacks, pressing instead for a bigger draft and longer compulsory service.


They argue that the army's dwindling strength undermines its combat readiness and say the Defense Ministry cannot afford to pay contract soldiers.


Heedful of the ministry's complaints, parliament last spring extended the length of the compulsory military service to two years from 18 months. The law, which took effect Oct. 1, is retroactive. As a result, the army will demobilize just 19,000 soldiers this fall, 192,000 less than it would have without the extension.