SEVEROMORSK, Northern Russia, February 2 (AVN) -- A 50-strong marine detachment of the Northern Fleet left for Chechnya on Wednesday, Vice-Admiral Vladimir Dobroskochenko, the fleet's deputy commander told the Military News Agency.
The marines are to replace their fellows-in-arms whose service term has expired. According to the admiral, all 50 marines are armed with machine-guns and other automatic weapons, sniper rifles, and have gone through a mountain warfare crash-course.