(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-27 14:41

MOSCOW - Over 200 soliders in the Russian army committed suicide last year, accounting for nearly half of the deaths in the military, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

A total of 442 Russian soldiers died last year, and among them 224 committed suicide and 167 died in accidents, including 41 who lost their lives in road accidents, according to figures released by the ministry on its Web site.

Other causes for the casualties included hazing, which resulted in 15 deaths, accidental murder, which was blamed for 23 deaths, and mishandling of their weapons, which was responsible for 13 deaths.