A drive to make a professional force out of the 76th airborne division is seen as a test case of Russia's ability to cut down on conscription and introduce contract soldiers in its violence-ridden armed forces.

But spokesman Nikolai Bragin told Interfax news agency that of the 1,673 men who signed up for the paratrooper division based in the northwestern town of Pskov, 546 had already dropped out.

The division has been running its professionalization drive since September. Around 2,660 men travelled to the base to sign up, but only 1,673 ended up concluding contracts, Bragin said.

Earlier this year, the Pskov division was forced to extend a June 1 deadline to sign up 3,700 soldiers by three months after it failed to recruit enough troops.

"According to a sociological study carried out in the 76th division, 91 percent of contracted soldiers said their expectations in terms of financial compensation were disappointed," Bragin said.

The current monthly salary for a Pskov soldier is 5,280 rublesdollars, 155 euros).

The study found that 72 percent were unsatisfied with their housing conditions.

Russia has been trying to reform its chronically underfunded armed services since the mid-1990s, but reforms aiming to scale back the 1.1 million-strong military have faced a series of setbacks from hawkish generals trained in the Soviet era.

The current plan envisages a small professional force as the backbone of the country's defenses set up by 2007, leaving the highly unpopular draft process almost completely intact.

WAR.WIRE