MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Almost 90 percent of Russians approve of the activities of the national armed forces, the deputy chief of the Russian General Staff said, citing a poll, recently carried out by an opinion center of the Russian army.
"In August 2017, the Sociological center of the Russian Armed Forces in partnership with the Russian Public Opinion Research Center monitored the opinion of the country's population toward service in the army… Today, the rate [of approval of the Russian army] stands at 89 percent, while it was just 87 percent in July this year. On the whole, this figure has grown by 37 percent in the last five years," Col. Gen. Vasily Tonkoshkurov told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper in an interview published on Monday.
"The survey showed that the majority (60 percent) is positive in their views on the condition of the Russian army, while young people aged between 18 and 24 praise its combat capabilities more than anyone else (97 percent)," Tonkoshkurov said.
Neanwhile, the General Staff deputy chief stressed that the popular attitude toward the military service had undergone substantial changes after a law, banning people who did not serve in the army under unlawful conditions from working in the public agencies, was adopted. Some draftees even come to enlistment offices ahead of the appointed date to have more options while choosing an arm or a service. Currently, it is mandatory for all male citizens of Russia to go through a 12-month draft in the armed forces, unless they have medical conditions or other legal excuses to evade the service. The conscription term was reduced from 18 months in 2008.
