The issue was raised again on April 1, when the spring draft started in Russia.
On March 27-28, the Russian Center for Public Opinion Studies surveyed 1,600 adults in 100 villages and towns in 39 regions, territories and republics of Russia to determine Russians' opinion about this issue.
The poll shows that the number of people, who support the military draft has increased, while the number of people, who support the contract service (the prevalent point of view in Russia) is shrinking.
The majority of the individuals polled, 54%, support contract service. Forty percent of the respondents support the draft. This number has grown by 15% in the past two years while the number of people, who support contract service has dropped by 10%.
Analysts at the Center for Public Opinion Studies believe that results are most likely due to the fact that society's expectations about the transition of the army to a contract-based army have not been met.
The views of the respondents differed significantly based on age, sex and location. The majority of young people, women and residents of big cities, especially Moscow and St. Petersburg, support contract service, while older people, especially men, support preserving the draft.
