WORLD : 59 Soviet Officers Slain in ’89
In an unprecedented wave of murders, 59 Soviet military officers ranging in rank from lieutenant to general were slain last year, a military affairs newsletter said today.
The newsletter, published by the respected Jane’s Information Group, said the murders “appear to be part of the current move of antipathy felt toward the armed forces, particularly among younger age groups in ethnic regions.”
In 1988 two officers were murdered, and in 1987 just one, it said.
“Very few (of the murders) have been solved,” and Soviet authorities are disturbed that local law enforcement agencies “are either incapable of or not interested in carrying out any proper line of inquiry,” the newsletter said.
It said a special section has been set up in the top military prosecutor’s office to work with local police and law offices.
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