[There are] 200,000 military officers who face early retirement, as Russia conducts a sweeping reform that will eliminate the jobs of six out of every 10 members of its top-heavy officer corps.
The government says reducing the ranks of senior officers is just one of the changes needed to turn a behemoth institution of more than 1.1 million personnel into a modern army trained to fight terrorism and regional conflicts. But many in this army town say the reform doesn't take people into consideration.
The Russians surely need to reform their military to recognize that there simply aren't reserve military units that need those excess officers to lead them during war.
If anybody in Russia is prone to stoking discontent to further their political goals, 200,000 trained soldiers and leaders out on their ear without the means to support themselves or their families (not to mention the loss of social standing) represent a powerful source of street power.
