Russian 'Contract' Soldier

[Bongopete]

Hey, what is a contract soldier in Russia and what or why the difference between them and others?

[Fade]

They are not conscripts.

[Bongopete]

Thats the difference? Are they paid better or get better assignments?
What jobs do the conscripts usually get?

[intelligenzija]

http://contract.mil.ru

[Fade]

Thats the difference? Are they paid better or get better assignments?
What jobs do the conscripts usually get?

I am not familiar with current details, perhaps some of our Russian or other knowledgeable members could comment more fully on it though.

Here is some background on what you are asking about, anyways: Kontraktniki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Ground_Forces#Kontraktniki)

[Bongopete]

Thanks for the link :)

[Ceriy]

Hey, what is a contract soldier in Russia and what or why the difference between them and others?
Contract soldier is a professional soldier who volunteers to join the army.
Others are conscripts, drafted at age 18, and are required to serve 1 year.

[AKS]

Thats the difference? Are they paid better or get better assignments?
What jobs do the conscripts usually get?

Contract soldiers are the only ones to serve in combat operations in Chechnya if I remember correctly.

[Kapitan]

Contract soldiers are the only ones to serve in combat operations in Chechnya if I remember correctly.

No. Although most soldiers currently in Chechnya are now contract soldiers.

[AKS]

No. Although most soldiers currently in Chechnya are now contract soldiers.

didn't the MoD say that conscripts from the Army shall not serve in Chechnyan combat anymore? Because I am pretty sure I heard something like that on the news

[Kapitan]

didn't the MoD say that conscripts from the Army shall not serve in Chechnyan combat anymore? Because I am pretty sure I heard something like that on the news

Yes, here's a link for you:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-126716324.html



Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told Interfax on 2 January that "young draftees no longer serve in Chechnya and will never be sent there again." He said that, following a reform that placed the railway troops under the Defense Ministry's jurisdiction, the country's armed forces now number 1,207,000 service personnel. The ministry also has 876,000 civilian personnel. Ivanov said this is "an optimal figure required to maintain the defense sufficiency level." RC


Words and reality do not always agree, however. Perhaps in the future there will be no conscripts at all over there, however at the moment there still are some (although the vast majority, as I said, are kontraktniki).

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Are there in effect two separate armies in Russia now or just separate units which are either all professional soldiers or all conscripts (but presumably including professional senior officers as COs and some professional junior officers/NCOs?)

[Kapitan]

Are there in effect two separate armies in Russia now or just separate units which are either all professional soldiers or all conscripts (but presumably including professional senior officers as COs and some professional junior officers/NCOs?)

One army, of course

A unit / regiment / batallion / division / etc can have any proportion of conscripts/contract soldiers. Just depends on how things work out for that particular unit/regiment/whatever. Some regiments can be 100% conscripts, while others can be 100% contract soldiers, yet other can be 50/50 or any other proportion.

In regards to Chechnya _most_ of the soldiers in any regiment/division/etc are contract soldiers, with may be a mere 2% or so consisting of conscripts.
It is going towards having no conscripts there at all.