MOSCOW, July 25 (AVN) - The Russian peacekeeping contingent in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to complete its personnel planned rotation by July 29 in accordance with the Chief-of-Staff directive, Major-General Vladimir Kazantsev, the airborne troops combat training chief told the Military News Agency.
The Russian separate airborne brigade (RSAB), SFOR unit, started the rotation on July 21. The servicemen are carried by the military transport aircraft on the route Dyagilevo (Ryazan) - Tuzla (Bosnia). The third in a row IL-76 Candid plane will carry 200 paratroopers to the place of destination on Wednesday.
A total of 712 servicemen will be replaced including 100 officers, 50 warrants and 562 private contractors. The brigade commander Colonel Sergei Istrakov will also be replaced by Colonel Vladimir Krymsky, the 76th airborne division chief-of-staff.
The RSAB has been staying in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1996. The brigade's area of responsibility covers 1.750 square kilometres of the north-eastern parts of Bosnia. The unit controls 75 kilometres of the inter-entity boundary line. At present it comprises 1,300 servicemen.