MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. In 2020, 30,000 voluntary servicemen joined the Russian Armed Forces, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

"By the end of 2020, the number of volunteer servicemen increased by 30,000 people, this category is now the most numerous. The number of volunteers exceeds the number of conscripts by 1.8 times," Pankov said.

According to the Deputy Defense Minister, volunteer servicemen fully cover the sergeant roster, submarine crews, long-range surface ship crews, peacekeeping units, special forces, the majority of drivers and snipers, as well as a number of repair and maintenance positions.

"Our final goal is to fill about 500,000 positions of soldiers, sergeants and ensigns with professional servicemen. Overall, over the last eight years, this category of servicemen increased by over two times," Pankov added.