MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia’s chief military prosecutor says assaults on soldiers by their superiors have risen sharply this year.
Conditions for conscripts in the Russian military are notoriously harsh. Violent, sometimes-fatal hazings are common.
Chief Military Prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky on Thursday gave figures indicating the culture of brutality could be intensifying.
In remarks reported by Russian news agencies, Fridinsky says that in the first half of the year, assault cases have been brought against 75 lieutenants and more than 170 sergeants. He says that amounts to a 15-percent increase in beatings compared to the previous year.
