New Budget Stipulates Significant Amounts For Russian Army Re-Armament

The draft budget for 2002 envisages allocation of about 68 billion rubles ($1 being nearly 30 rubles) for repair of military hardware and re-armament of the Russian army. This was disclosed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov during a break in the annual assembly of the Armed Forces commanders underway in the Defence Ministry. The funds will be used to purchase modern military hardware for general-purpose troops. The troops will be supplied with modern helicopters, means of communications and reconnaissance, the minister said. Sergei Ivanov stressed that the Russian nuclear deterrence forces have been financed this year "at the minimum subsistence level."