MOSCOW, March 13 (AVN) - Interior Ministry troops units taking part in the Chechnya war have only 15 to 40 percent of the regular number of armoured vehicles, Yevgeny Zelenov, member of the defence committee in the State Duma lower house of parliament, said on Tuesday.
The ministry's troops in Chechnya have other pressing problems, Zelenov told the Military News Agency. For instance, limits of bonus payments for participation in combat were cut by 30 percent, and debts started to emerge in some units yet in September 2000, he stressed.
Construction of ground infrastructure for troops stationing also causes a lot of problems. The compound of the 46th Interior Ministry troops brigade that is stationed in Chechnya on a permanent basis is being built in accordance with all requirements, but personnel of the units stationed there temporarily regularly lives in tents.
Zelenov was also bewildered by slow procession of documents concerning decoration of Interior Ministry troops soldiers. About 5,000 servicemen were put up for awards in 2000, but only 2,051 were actually awarded.