DEFENSE REFORM: IVANOV ANNOUNCES TWO INITIATIVES

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000010

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2016
TAGS: PREL PARM PGOV PINR RS
SUBJECT: DEFENSE REFORM: IVANOV ANNOUNCES TWO INITIATIVES

Classified By: Pol MinCouns Alice G. Wells reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (SBU) Spurred by public concern over the widespread abuse
of conscripts, Minister of Defense Sergey Ivanov outlined two
initiatives to improve the quality of life in the military
when he met November 16 with senior commanders of the Armed
Forces. Ivanov called for the creation of Parents'
Committees, whose members would be allowed to visit soldiers
at their military facilities. Ivanov also signed an order
for the establishment of a "Public Chamber" attached to the
Ministry of Defense (MOD) that would increase transparency
over MOD policy. The MOD Public Chamber, which will include
public figures such as Union of Soldiers' Mothers' Committee
Chairman Valentina Melnikova, movie director Nikita
Mikhalkov, and Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov, will offer
policy recommendations to senior MOD officials.


2. (C) Melnikova told us that since the late 1980's her
organization had regularly proposed both initiatives. She
reminded us that Ivanov had singled out conscripts' mothers
as the most "agitating and uncompromising" segment of
society. She hypothesized that Ivanov's initiative intended
to co-opt conscripts' mothers and mitigate their criticism of
MOD policies. Melnikova also noted that invitations to join
Parents' Committees would originate in the MOD, with
membership likely restricted to parents whose sons were
current conscripts, a move that would effectively block her
organization's leadership from participation. Nonetheless,
Melnikova said her organization was ready to work with the
MOD on the Parents' Committees.


3. (C) Aleksandr Sharavin of the Institute for Political and
Military Analysis challenged the feasibility of the Parents'
Committees concept. He noted that the MOD has neither the
resources nor the desire to support groups of parents
traveling to military facilities to check on their sons'
welfare. Although parents would be expected to bear the cost
of travel and other expenses to visit their sons, the program
would still require considerable logistical support from
local commanders. Sharavin said, at best, parents would
visit Potemkin Villages. Sharavin predicted that the MOD
would only give lip service to the Public Chamber, since
there are no legal mechanisms to force the MOD to act on
Public Chamber recommendations. Sharavin emphasized, as he
has done with us on several occasions, that Ivanov's actions
and statements must be seen in the context of his
presidential ambitions. He added that Ivanov had announced
these initiatives during a meeting with senior military
commanders, who are averse to change and philosophically
opposed to their implementation.


4. (C) COMMENT: Ivanov's record in following through on such
initiatives is uneven at best. Last March, for example, he
ordered the creation of military police units to combat
hazing, but the MOD still has not implemented his directive.
Ivanov has displayed little inclination to confront senior
military officers. Nonetheless, Ivanov's proposals reflect
the fact that the MOD must improve the situation of
conscripts and the military in general, or, given demographic
trends, it will face the prospect of being unable to fill the
ranks.
RUSSELL