Russia says a fifth of defense budget stolen - Guy Faulconbridge - Reuters - May 24, 2011
Reuters reports that Russian chief military prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky, in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta, observed that one-fifth of Russian military spending is being stolen, with troops still getting poor-quality equipment and arms:
"Huge money is being stolen - practically every fifth rouble and the troops are still getting poor quality equipment and arms," chief military prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky told Russia's official gazette, Rossiiskaya Gazeta. "Every year more and more money is set aside for defence but the successes are not great," he said, adding that kickbacks and fictitious contracts were being used to defraud the state.
Since Russia's annual military budget is over $50 billion, that implies theft of more than $10 billion per year.
Critics say that corruption has grown worse under the Putin-Medvedev tandem, according to Reuters:
President Dmitry Medvedev says endemic corruption is holding back Russia's development, but anti-bribery groups say the problem has become worse since Medvedev was steered into the Kremlin by his mentor Vladimir Putin in 2008.
Some defense industry executives have been removed due to unfulfilled orders. Concerns over corruption are heightened at a time when Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has promised to increase defense spending, in an effort to remedy deficiencies in military equipment and other defense-related problems.
For more, and to see the original article, go to: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/24/us-russia-defence-idUSTRE74N1YX20110524
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