KHANKALA, April 4 (AVN) - SU-24 Fencer and SU-25 Frogfoot frontline bombers have been grounded in Chechnya in the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters told the Military News Agency on Wednesday.
An AN-30 Clank reconnaissance plane flew a sortie, the spokesman said. MI-24 Hind fire support helicopters convoyed three military columns and effected five air strikes on small rebel groups. A mortar crew and an ambush on a military column movement route were air stricken and destroyed. MI-8 Hip and MI-26 Halo transport helicopters airlifted 84 servicemen and 4t of cargo. Two AN-26 Curl and AN-12 Cub planes delivered 47 servicemen and 7t of cargo to Mozdok, the main federal base in the North Caucasus.
The spokesman confirmed that security measures had been scaled up near the Grozny and Mozdok airfields due to the approach of rebels with Stinger portable air defence missile systems.