Key Points
* Pay and conditions for Russian servicemen, especially those on contract service, have seen substantial recent improvements.
* Continuing high-profile reporting of rights abuses and violence masks initiatives taken to improve rights and welfare.
* The move to one-year conscript service will disrupt the system of
dedovshchina; but it is unlikely to uproot this kind of bullying altogether as it is not a purely military phenomenon in Russia.
* The Russian Armed Forces are not adapting fast enough to the challenges of recruiting professional servicemen.
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