By SERGEI SHARGORODSKY

MOSCOW (AP) - Boris Yeltsin urged his armed forces to uproot corruption and move ahead with stalled reforms, but reassured them he will not support ``thoughtless and mechanical'' budget cuts.

The army ``could be more active and decisive'' in modernizing and moving toward a volunteer force, the Russian president said in an interview Wednesday in the military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda. An advance text was released by Russian news agencies Tuesday.

Although Russia is gradually moving toward a professional army, ``what we have accomplished is far from enough,'' Yeltsin said.

Yeltsin has pledged to turn the huge Russian military - plagued by poor morale, deteriorating equipment and severe budget cuts - into a volunteer, modern force by 2000.

But Defense Minister Igor Rodionov, charged with implementing the reform, said last month that Russia has no chance of creating an all-volunteer army before 2005. Phasing out the draft ``would automatically mean the disappearance of the armed forces,'' he said.

Yeltsin did not mention a target date for an all-volunteer force during this interview.

Following the recent ouster of several top generals reportedly involved in corruption, Yeltsin called on the military to ``cleanse itself of this dirt.''

He also sought to calm the military's fears about upcoming budget cuts, but insisted the government cannot print more money and risk reigniting inflation.

Russian lawmakers say the new budget plan has defense spending cuts of 20 percent, bringing the overall military budget down to $14.2 billion. The cuts are mostly expected to affect purchases of new weapons and equipment.

With many servicemen going unpaid for months - along with state workers and the elderly - Yeltsin assured the army he will not allow its salaries and food budget to be slashed.

Rodionov said recently the military received only 40 percent of its budgeted funds for food and 2 percent of its money for other supplies during the first quarter of 1997.

Yeltsin also dismissed accusations that military reform would weaken Russia internationally, saying he will continue to staunchly defend national interests.

``We shall do everything to minimize the consequences of NATO expansion for Russia's security,'' he said. ``We shall continue to deepen integration within the Commonwealth of Independent States, especially with Belarus. We shall strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries, first of all with China.''

The interview was published ahead of this Friday's Victory Day holiday, which honors the Russian military.