MOSCOW, April 27 (AVN) - The Defence Ministry main financial and economic department confirmed on Friday that the personnel of the unified federal group in the North Caucasus had only received bonuses for participation in combat for the period up to February this year inclusively.
The department considers the inquiry sent by the State Duma lower house of parliament to Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov on Thursday to be a political demonstration of concern over rights of the group's servicemen, a department spokesman told the Military News Agency. The thing is that President Vladimir Putin ordered the ministers a week ago to figure out the reasons behind non-payment of bonuses, and the ministries are doing their best to ensure sooner payment of the money.
The Agency learned, however, that Defence Ministry officials were to blame for non-payment themselves. In accordance with the standing order the North Caucasus military district commander, Colonel General Vladimir Troshev, was to have sent to Moscow the list of servicemen entitled to bonuses and the defence minister was to have signed it. However the document has not arrived in Moscow yet, and the Finance Ministry is not allowed to transfer money without it.