| Wednesday, July 28, 2004 Suicide rate on rise in Russian army MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's chief military prosecutor said Tuesday that 109 soldiers have committed suicide so far this year, 38 percent more than the same period last year. In comments broadcast on NTV television, Alexander Savenkov also said 25 servicemen were killed in hazing incidents and 12 others died as a result excess force used by their officers, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. Violent deaths and suicides are common in the demoralized and cash-strapped Russian military, even in units far from conflict zones. Conscripts complain of vicious hazing by veteran soldiers and abuse by officers. Savenkov said 60 of the 109 suicides killed themselves "not by their own will" - suggesting they were driven to suicide by hazing. He said the others committed suicide for reasons such as trouble with their families or with a girlfriend, according to NTV. The prosecutor "very clearly stated the reason for suicides - that in many cases soldiers and officers are driven to suicide," Valentina Melnikova, chairwoman of the Union of Committees of Soldiers' Mothers, said on NTV. "This is horrible - it means that the system doesn't just not allow people to serve, it does not let them live." Savenkov said 420 servicemen have died this year in non-combat situations in the armed forces or other ministries and agencies where there is military service. The figure includes deaths from suicides, crimes and accidents. |