MOSCOW, February 22 (AVN) - Over 40,000 servicemen that took part in the anti-guerrilla operation in the North Caucasus have been decorated with medals and orders since 1999, a spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry told the Military News Agency on Thursday.
As many as 123 people were awarded the Hero of Russia title, 55 of them posthumously, over 14,000 got orders and more than 27,000 medals. Most of those decorated are enlisted men and non-commissioned officers, making it 23,000. Decorated also are 86 civilian employees of the Defence Ministry.
A total of 81,587 servicemen were decorated for the 1994-1996 and 1999-2001 Chechnya campaigns.