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Number of contract soldiers should reach 425,000 – Medvedev

President Dmitry Medvedev said the number of contract soldiers could reach 425,000 by 2017

MOSCOW, December 22 (Itar-Tass) — President Dmitry Medvedev said the number of contract soldiers could reach 425,000 by 2017.

“Our Armed Forces should be cardinally renovated in the nearest 10 years,” Medvedev said in the annual address to the Federal Assembly on Thursday.

“So, by 2020 the Russian army should be 70 percent equipped with up-to-date weapons and military hardware,” the president stressed.

“The up-to-date well-equipped army demands draftees be reduced and be replaced by professional contract soldiers. By 2017 contract soldiers should reach 425,000 people,” he said.