On November 17, the Russian government released astonishing figures revealing that less than half the 932 Russian soldiers killed last year died in the "line of duty', and 260 of them committed suicide. More than 100 deaths were classified as "breaches of safety". An October Human Rights Watch report described a culture of "horrific violence" against new conscripts in the Russian army.
From Green Left Weekly, November 24, 2004.
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RUSSIA: Suicide epidemic revealed in army
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