Military Wages to Be Hiked

Feb. 2, 2011

President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday that the government will nearly double military wages and increase the number of military officers.

Medvedev said police and other law enforcement agencies would also get wage hikes starting next January.

Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that an army lieutenant would get an average monthly wage of 50,000 rubles (about $1,700), about twice as much as the current salary.

He said the military would also increase the number of officers. Over the past two years the number of officers was reduced from 355,000 to 150,000.

Serdyukov said the armed forces would now need 70,000 more officers because of the plans to form additional units.

(AP)

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