KHANKALA, August 20 (AVN) - The commander of the unified federal group in Chechnya, Colonel General Valery Baranov, or some of his deputies, will brief reporters on the situation in the south-eastern Chechen Vedeno district late on Monday, a source in the unified federal headquarters told the Military News Agency.
Baranov is to return from the Vedeno district on Monday, the source stressed. He flew there to study the situation by himself, protected only by the personal guard, which means that federals fully control the situation in the district, the source noted.
The headquarters admitted that the Armed Forces, Interior Ministry troops and police were suffering "certain losses" in clashes with guerrillas. Guerrillas are indeed carrying out large-scale operations in the district, trying to gain control over road sections and capture important installations in localities. They have failed so far, the source claimed.
In order to scale down the guerrilla activity Baranov ordered to relocate reinforcements to the turbulent districts. Federal troops are carrying out massive search and reconnaissance operations there.
According to the headquarters, guerrilla leaders have received over USD4m for combat activities in the Vedeno district.