Below is a summary of the main military-related events in Russia, the CIS and neighboring countries on January 11, 2006
* Speaking at a meeting of the Russian parliament's lower house, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said the following:
- in 2005 the number of servicemen who needed housing dropped by 8,000 from 130,000
- allowance in lieu of rations for servicemen should be abolished
- the Defense Ministry and the Finance Ministry had agreed to improve the system of service pay starting in 2006
- the Defense Ministry and other security-related bodies would demand an unscheduled increase in service pay for their personnel if inflation exceeded the planned norm
- the government would soon review a series of bills related to military service, including on the reduction of the number of deferrals and establishment of military training centers at civilian universities
* Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said service pay for the military personnel had been increased by 15%, starting January 1, 2006
* Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov submitted to the government a draft directive on the opening of closed military town No. 32 in Yekaterinburg in the Volga-Urals military district
* Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in an article published by the Wall Street Journal that Russia's nuclear capability was still a key deterrent and a crucial instrument in protecting its national interests
