KHANKALA. Oct 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The rotation of airborne units operating in Chechnya ended on Wednesday, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The replacement of battalion-size and regiment-size task forces took place from September 15 to October 20 in accordance with Chief-of-Staff Anatoly Kvashnin's order.
The rotation was a success and went in full accordance with the schedule, the spokesman said. Seven military trains with personnel and hardware of the Airborne Troops went from the troops' permanent stationing areas in Pskov, Tula, Ryazan, Novorossiysk and Stavropol for the North Caucasian terminals of Khankala, Khasavjurt and Mozdok. As a result of the rotation over 5,000 servicemen and over 100t of various cargo were transported to Chechnya and back.
Colonel Vladimir Plotnikov, commander of the airborne force within the unified federal group, was replaced by Colonel Viktor Mikhailov of the Airborne Staff combat training department.