PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Feb 18 (Interfax-AVN) - Several hundred people will have to be relocated from the Kamchatka region in the course of the 22nd motorized rifle division restructuring, the headquarters of the Kamchatka troops group said on Monday.
The division's transformation into a brigade envisages abolition of regiments headquartered in the Radygino, Chapayevka and Dolinovka villages, a spokesman for the headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency. Several hundreds of civilians residing in those villages will have no job after the restructuring. Moreover, services of the regiments subject to disbandment have been in charge of housing distribution in the three garrisons.
"The municipal authorities of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are not eager to commission the former military compounds. They say the reason is wear of the housing facilities which have not been repaired for a long time and are in miserable condition, as well as the garrisons' remoteness from the city," the spokesman said.
The compounds are likely to be disbanded too, but it is not yet clear where their civilian residents will be relocated. At least RUB500m (USD16.19m) will be needed to cover expenses on relocation and employment of the civilians, the military say. "Only the federal budget can handle such expenses," the spokesman stressed.
The deadline for the 22nd division's transformation is July 1, 2002. Career servicemen of the regiments subject to disbandment will get state housing certificates if they express their wish to retire.
After the transformation the motorized rifle brigade will be stationed in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Its stationing area is currently occupied by a regiment of the division.