Putin Demands Tough Line Against Army Bullying

Conscripts at a tank school in Chelyabinsk, site of the incident that has sparked a national furor about hazing (file photo) (ITAR-TASS) 3 February 2006 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that there must be an end to violence within the Russian army and to attempts to cover it up.

"We should seriously increase our attention to the protection of the personal rights and social guarantees of military personnel and react in the firmest way to any violence and hazing and attempts by commanders to cover up such incidents," he said.

Putin said on 31 January that he supports the idea of creating a military police to clamp down on hazing in the Russian forces.

Putin spoke amid a furor caused by the cases of two soldiers so badly beaten that they had to have their legs amputated.

(AFP)