ST. PETERSBURG, June 6 (RIA Novosti)-Occupational deferments from conscription in the Russian army will be abolished in 2008, the defense minister said Tuesday.
Sergei Ivanov said the lower chamber of parliament would soon debate a bill on abolishing the deferments in its second reading.
The Defense Ministry said no exemptions and deferments would be given to performing art students and young professionals under a new conscription bill currently being considered at the State Duma.
The ministry-sponsored bill scraps nine of the 25 effective deferment and exemption categories in an effort to cut the length of mandatory army service to 18 months from the current two years in January 2007, and further down to one year in January 2008.
