MOSCOW, July 26: Ominous rumblings are being heard in the higher echelons of the Russian Army against the armed forces reforms proposed by its supreme commander, President Boris Yeltsin.Even as Yeltsin is enjoying his vacation at a north Russian sanatorium, Kremlin daily Rossisskiya Vesti has for the first time spoken about the possibility of the emergence of a ``military junta'' in the country, referring to the apparent stoic silence being maintained by the top brass of the Army about the Government's resolve to carry out radical reforms in the armed forces.According to the reform proposals, the strength of all the wings of the Russian Army would be reduced from 1.5 million to 1.2 million by 1999, limiting the number of generals to 2,300. Various missile forces in the Army would be merged under one unified command.Russian Defence Council chief Yuri Baturin, who is also being projected as the country's first civilian defence minister to be appointed to the post in near future, told the Government mouthpiece that in keeping with the spirit of the reforms, Yeltsin had declined to promote even a single person to the rank of general in past six weeks.Contrary to the silence maintained by the top brass of the Army, head of the defence committee in Duma and former chief of Russian Army in Chechenya, ``rebel'' general Lev Rokhlin, has come out into the open against the armed forces reforms and recently launched the Save Russian Army movement.Russian news agency quoting sources said Gen Rokhlin had addressed a letter to all the serving officers and men of the Russian Army asking them to form units and begin ``civil disobedience'', irrespective of the fact that Kremlin had decided to pay all their back wages.Gen Rokhlin is also opposing the move to cut down the numerical strength of the Army. The President's camp believes that the security of the country would be better looked after by a higher combat ability than any formidable numerical strength.Novosti hinted at the possibility of an ultimatum being served by the Army to its supreme commander Yeltsin, who was being blamed for the pitiable state of affairs in the once mighty force dreaded across the world.Quoting Gen Rokhlin, Novosti said some Defence Ministry and certain Army garrisons had actually responded to his movement and begun ``military opposition'' at local level.Significantly, Gen Rokhlin's movement has received support from formidable figures among the non-serving generals and former KGB leaders. Novosti said the organising committee of Save Russian Army movement had plans to have its plenary session in September to consolidate opposition struggle against the negative policies of the present leadership.The Communist Party and other Left forces also gave their support to Rokhlin's movement though Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazetar.While a clearer picture of the opposition would unravel when Duma meets for the autumn session after its current recess, Yeltsin is understood to have admonished his new Defence Minister Igor Sergeev for inadequate information and propaganda in favour of the reforms.
