Moscow, April 7, 1998 -- The General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces answered the parliamentary inquiry made by Duma Deputy and ARA President Valerii Borschev. The letter, signed by the vice chief of the General Staff V. Putilin, says: "According to the information provided by the Staffs of Military Districts, during the conscription campaign in the autumn '97 1061 people applied to conscription commissions for the alternative civilian service". In the spring '97 there were 675 applicants.

ARA Secretary Nikolai Khramov declared:

"The data speak for themselves: the number of those who according to the Constitution decides to apply officially for the alternative civilian service instead of the military service and, by doing that, contribute to the soonest adoption of the Alternative civilian service federal law, continues to grow. However, it should be taken into consideration that the ARA began a large-scale Civil obedience campaign in Moscow last February, i.e. after the autumn '97 conscription campaign was over. The main objective of our campaign is clear and definite: every draftee in Moscow must be informed about his constitutional right to conscientious objection. We plan to get at least 5000 conscientious objectors. Let's wait and see the data declared by the General Staff after the spring '98 conscription campaign."