Washington Times - Russia plans to boost military spending

Washington Times - Russia plans to boost military spending: "Russia plans to boost military spending
Funds for salaries, streamlining armed forces
Martin Sieff UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Russia, flush with wealth from its record-level oil and gas exports, is planning to further boost its defense spending by almost 50 percent over the next three years, a senior legislator in Moscow said last week.

'According to a draft federal budget for 2009-2011, expenditure on national defense will increase in 2009 by 25.7 percent from 1.02 trillion rubles ($40 billion) to 1.28 trillion rubles ($51.3 billion) and would account for 14 percent of total budget spending,' said Viktor Zavarzin, chairman of the Defense Committee in Russia's lower house of Parliament, according to RIA Novosti.

By 2011, Russia's total defense budget would expand by a total of 45.6 percent compared with current levels, he concluded.

Mr. Zavarzin said much of the money would go toward increasing the pay and boosting the standard of living of serving troops.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russia's former president, made a pledge to dramatically improve the living conditi"