MOSCOW -- Wives of retired Russian military officers have marked International Women's Day by staging a protest outside the Defense Ministry in Moscow to demand better housing for their families.
Close to 30 women joined in the March 8 protest, holding placards and announcing a hunger strike to protest what they see as government neglect.
The move is similar to a protest and a wave of hunger strikes by retired army officers last month.
The exact number of people who remain on hunger strike is not clear.
A retired officer attending the wives' protest told RFE/RL that it was the responsibility of the country's new president-elect, Vladimir Putin, to take care of the problem.
The Defense Ministry officially promises free housing to all military officers when they retire.
Close to 30 women joined in the March 8 protest, holding placards and announcing a hunger strike to protest what they see as government neglect.
The move is similar to a protest and a wave of hunger strikes by retired army officers last month.
The exact number of people who remain on hunger strike is not clear.
A retired officer attending the wives' protest told RFE/RL that it was the responsibility of the country's new president-elect, Vladimir Putin, to take care of the problem.
The Defense Ministry officially promises free housing to all military officers when they retire.
