- scale ▁Russian ▁military ▁reform ▁began , ▁aim ing ▁to ▁modern ize ▁the ▁Russian ▁Ar med ▁Forces ▁and ▁making ▁them ▁significantly ▁more ▁effective . ▁The ▁reform ▁was ▁largely ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁Def ense ▁Minister ▁An atol y ▁Ser dy uk ov ▁during ▁Med ved ev ' s ▁Pres iden cy , ▁under ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁both ▁Put in , ▁as ▁the ▁Head ▁of ▁Government , ▁and ▁Med ved ev , ▁as ▁the ▁Commander - in - Ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Ar med ▁Forces . ▁ ▁Key ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁reform ▁included ▁reducing ▁the ▁armed ▁forces ▁to ▁a ▁strength ▁of ▁one ▁million ; ▁reducing ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁officers ; ▁central ising ▁officer ▁training ▁from ▁ 6 5 ▁military ▁schools ▁into ▁ 1 0 ▁' system ic ' ▁military ▁training ▁cent res ; ▁creating ▁a ▁professional ▁N CO ▁corps ; ▁reducing ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁command ; ▁introdu cing ▁more ▁civil ian ▁log istics ▁and ▁auxili ary ▁staff ; ▁elim ination ▁of ▁cadre - str ength ▁form ations ; ▁re organ ising ▁the ▁res erves ; ▁re organ ising ▁the ▁army ▁into ▁a ▁brig ade ▁system , ▁and ▁re organ ising ▁air ▁forces ▁into ▁an ▁air ▁base ▁system ▁instead ▁of ▁reg iments . ▁ ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁military ▁districts ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁four . ▁The ▁term ▁of ▁draft ▁service ▁was ▁reduced ▁from ▁two ▁years ▁to ▁one , ▁which ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁old ▁har ass ment ▁trad itions ▁in ▁Russian ▁army , ▁since ▁all ▁cons cript s ▁became