Military Institute to open in Tiraspol

The Transnistrian army plans a thorough reorganization, Info-Prim Neo’s field reporter informs. The all-army conference of platoon and company commanders, held for the first time on Thursday, March 27, since Transnistria unilaterally declared its independence from Moldova, addressed such issues as the poor level of military training and instances of bullying in the army. According to the participants in the conference, some two-thirds of the lower ranking military officers leave the army after two years of service. To improve the situation, it was decided to establish a Military Institute to replace the military department working at the Tiraspol University. This year, it is planned to recruit 60 cadets, whose courses will last for 4-5 years, after which they will sign 10-year service contracts. As Igor Railean, Transnistria’s chief military prosecutor stated in an interview with the local paper “Profsoyuznie Sveazi”, the prosecutor’s office is now investigating 140 cases of illegitimate behavior and offences committed by servicemen, including 2 recruit deaths that occurred in 2007. Unofficial sources said that another soldier has died recently, allegedly jumping from the third floor of a Tiraspol hospital, but the hospital administration denied to comment, the paper said. In 2007, out of 600 cases examined by the prosecutor’s office, 400 were resolved, with 250 cases being passed to court. The most recurrent violation committed in the army is desertion due to bullying and hazing practices.