MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has authorized the creation of new military education centers at federal universities in 16 Russian regions, according to a decree uploaded to Russia’s official database of legislative acts on Tuesday.

In accordance with the decree, military education centers will operate at state universities in 13 Russian administrative regions (Astrakhan, Kirov, Amur, Izhevsk, Lipetsk, Novgorod, Oryol, Pskov, Sakhalin, Smolensk, Tyumen, Volgograd and Yaroslavl regions) and three Russian republics - Mordovia, Chechnya and Mari El.

Until 2019, Russian universities offered military training alongside a degree in two forms: reserve-officer training departments and military education centers. In early 2019, they were merged into military education centers, training reserve officers and commissioned officers, as well as privates and sergeants. The 16 new military training centers created on Tuesday will bring their overall number in Russia to 120.