MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian military leadership has categorically denied media reports that certain units of the 58th army deployed near Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been put on alert.
"All units of the 58th army are on a routine regime," Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces Nikolai Kormiltsev told Interfax-Military News Agency on Tuesday. "No orders have been issued to put units of this army on alert," he said.
Asked to comment on media reports that 58th army units had been put on alert after getting information on Georgia's preparations for a military operation against Abkhazia, Kormiltsev said that "even Russian peacekeepers in the Georgian- Abkhaz conflict zone are accomplishing missions in a regular mode." He stressed that 58th army units were not stationed on the border with Abkhazia.
Kormiltsev recalled that a series of command post exercises was held in the army last week. "The maneuvers were planned, and the same is true for the command post exercise of the 205th separate motorized rifle brigade that is underway now," he said.