MOSCOW AP Crime and suicide continue to rise in the demoralized Russian military with a growing number of officers taking their own lives because of late pay and poverty the Interfax News Agency reported Tuesday. Citing Defense Ministry statistics the report said some 10500 crimes and incidents had been recorded in the armed forces during the first 11 months of 1998 compared to about 10000 in all of 1997. The Russian military has been falling apart in recent years because the cash-strapped government can provide only a fraction of the funding budgeted for the armed forces. Soldiers and officers routinely go months without pay often live in appalling conditions and bullying and crime are rampant. Overall the number of deaths in the military has declined the report said. Some 500 servicemen were killed or died on active service compared to 600 deaths last year. More than 800 servicemen were killed or died in off-duty situations compared to about 1000 such deaths in 1997 the report said without adding any further details. But suicides are climbing with about 350 cases reported this year said the report without providing figures for last year. More than 60 percent of suicides involved officers and poverty and delays in salaries were cited as the main reason it said. APW19981201.0811.txt.body.html APW19981201.1027.txt.body.html