The Defense Ministry said 518 servicemen died during non-combat duty in the first six months of 1994, 18 percent fewer than in the same period last year, Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported Tuesday.


But a public group helping parents of soldiers killed in the army accused the military of covering up the actual number of deaths, including those due to bullying and suicides.


The group, Mother's Right, put the annual death toll at more than 4,000, and said there were no signs that the situation was improving.


The Defense Ministry said 57 percent of deaths were attributed to violations of safety rules and accidents involving military hardware, the army daily reported.


Suicides constituted 27 percent of all fatalities, while deaths due to hazing and premeditated murders accounted for 3.4 percent and 8.5 percent respectively, the newspaper said.


"Hazing of young soldiers and lack of proper medical care top the list of death causes in the armed forces," Veronika Marchenko, director of the Mother's Right charity, said.


"Official letters to parents say their sons committed suicide or succumbed to a sudden illness," she said. "According to our information, most suicides are due to the abnormal psychological climate in the army "


Marchenko said many parents receive no assistance from the state after the death of their sons, prompting them to seek assistance at Mother's Right and other public groups.