The commander of the Airborne Forces promised to increase the number of contractors by 2 times

The number of soldiers and sergeants of the contract service in the Russian airborne troops (Airborne Forces) for five years is planned to be increased more than doubled. Thus, in 2017, up to about 20 thousand contractors will serve in the Airborne Forces. This was told by the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov, the RIA Novosti website reports.

According to him, now about 35 thousand people serve in the Airborne Forces, of which soldiers and sergeants of the contract service - about 9.5 thousand. Within 5-7 years, Shamanov noted, their number should increase to about 20 thousand. He expressed the hope that this would significantly reduce the load on the youth by call and increase the professionalism of the Airborne Forces.

Shamanov added that the level of staffing by contractors and joints of the Airborne Forces depends on the region, and the attractiveness of the contract service also affects the standard of living in each individual region.

So, for example, in the Tula region about 15-20 percent of contractors serve, and almost two of three paratroopers serve in the 31st brigade in Ulyanovsk under the contract-there are 59 percent of them. However, the most equipped part of the Airborne Forces is the Kostroma artillery regiment (98th division) in this regard, where more than 90 percent of soldiers and sergeants serve under a contract.