Article Posted on : - Oct 23, 2010

MOSCOW (PTI): Russia has completed the restructuring of its command structure by putting in place four integrated strategic commands to replace traditional military districts, Defence Minster Anatoly Serdyukov has said.

"We finished the work just last week," Serdyukov said during his meeting with top military inspectors Friday.

In his televised remarks, Serdyukov also said that under the military reform the armed forces would be equipped with new weapons by 2020.

"There were no such armament programmes for a long time. As a result of the re-armament of the Russian Armed Forces, modern weaponry will account for 30 per cent by 2015 and 70 per cent by 2020," Serdyukov said.

Under the Kremlin's military reforms, out of six Russian military districts two have been abolished by merging four strategic commands with integrated command.

The Western Command, with headquarters in Moscow, will control all servicemen and hardware in the Western Military District.

The new district will incorporate the former Moscow and Leningrad military districts and the Baltic and Northern Fleets.

The Southern Command, with headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, will be in-charge of the Southern Military District, which will include the former North Caucasian Military District and the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.

The Central Command, with headquarters in Yekaterinburg, will control the Central Military District, including the former Volga-Urals Military District and the western part of the Siberian Military District.

The Eastern Command headquartered in Khabarovsk, will have be in-charge of the Pacific Fleet, the Far Eastern Military District and the most of Siberia, previously covered by Siberian Military District.