MOSCOW. Dec 11 (Interfax-AVN) - Not a single active-duty serviceman of the Interior Ministry Forces remains in Chechnya, Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said during a recent trip to the republic.
"The 22,000-strong grouping of the Interior Ministry Forces in the republic does not include a single active-duty serviceman. In compliance with the Russian president's decree, all units embraced the contract manning principle starting from December 1," Nurgaliyev was quoted as saying by the Interior Ministry's press service.
According to the minister, over 6,000 servicemen of the forces were withdrawn from Chechnya from January to November after accomplishing temporary missions. At the moment the 46th detached operations brigade, numbering 15,000 servicemen, as well as military commandant's offices and special-purpose detachments, are operating in the republic.
The increase in the brigade's personnel made it possible to set up two new operations regiments, namely the 94th, stationed in Urus-Martan, and the 96th, stationed in Gudermes. "The regiments started accomplishing service and combat missions on December 1 this year," Nurgaliyev said.
Nurgaliyev visited the 96th regiment in Gudermes in order to check the compliance with the president's instruction concerning the withdrawal of all active-duty servicemen with the Interior Ministry from the Chechen territory, the press service said.