VLADIKAVKAZ. April 10 (Interfax-AVN) - Two soldiers who had deserted from an air defense regiment of the 58th army were detained in the North Ossetian autonomous republic on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for the North Ossetian law-enforcement bodies told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Privates Alexander Semenkin and Vladimir Aristov did not commit any offenses outside their military unit, the spokesman said.
Semenkin resisted arrest and tried to commit suicide, Colonel Nikolai Deryabin, chief of the Defense Ministry press service, told Interfax-AVN. He was taken to hospital with chest injury.
Aristov did not put up resistance during the detention.
Both deserters were detained 5km from the town of Ardon; arms and ammo were confiscated from them. A criminal case was launched against both detainees.
The two privates, both aged 20, left their post near at the fuel and lubricants stock on the outskirts of Ardon overnight to Tuesday. They carried two assault rifles with 120 cartridges.