The number of chaplains in the Russian armed forces will soon triple to more than 60, the head of the Defense Ministry department for personnel development said on Thursday.
"Work to expand the corps of priests in the armed forces will be continued. First of all chaplains will be appointed to the posts of aides to commanders in closed, foreign-based and top combat readiness units," Maj. Gen. Sergei Chvarkov said at hearings in Russia's Public Chamber.
"Forty-five priests are ready for appointment. They will be appointed as soon as preparatory work is conducted with them," he said.
The Russian armed forces currently have 19 chaplains.
Two-thirds of Russian servicemen consider themselves religious, with more than 80% of them Orthodox Christians and some 8% Muslims.
In July 2009, after a meeting with the heads of Russia's main faiths, President Dmitry Medvedev supported a project to restore full-scale military priesthood, which existed from the 18th century to the start of the Soviet era.
It is planned that 240 clergy and nine priest positions will eventually appear in the Russian army.
