MOSCOW. Aug 16 (Interfax) - Russian Defense Ministry spending will skyrocket 45.9% in 2003.
"In absolute figures, that makes 77 billion rubles with 47 billion assigned for social spending: 27 billion on increasing military pensions and 20 billion for increasing the allowances of regular officers," a spokesman for the ministry financial department told Interfax on Thursday.
He said that the proportions perfectly demonstrate the priorities defined by the military leadership.
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