MAKHACHKALA, Dagestan. Nov 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Ethnic Chechens living in the Khasavyurt, Kazbek and Novolakskaya districts of the Dagestani autonomous republic will not join the Russian Armed Forces during the current draft.
"This is explained by the draftees' and their parents' intention to have the young men serve only in Dagestan, compactly and at best in a single military unit. This approach is unacceptable from the beginning because it runs contrary to the extra-territorial principle of manning the Armed Forces," Dagestani Military Commissioner Lieutenant General Magomed Tinamagomedov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
Ethnic Chechens residing in Dagestan started refusing to serve outside their home republic in spring this year, saying they may be killed by fellow servicemen in other Russian regions. "At the same time the most radical young men supported by Chechen women are holding rallies near the military commissioner's offices, draft stations and offices of local administrations," Tinamagomedov said.
"Military commissioners of Dagestan are making explanations to potential Chechen draftees, but the compromise has not been reached," he stressed.
"Some 600 draftees from Dagestan have been taken by two planes to units of the Siberian and Far Eastern military districts as well as to the Pacific Fleet. We are to draft and send to troops a total of about 4,000 young men," Tinamagomedov noted.
No cases of draft disruption have been registered in the republic's Botlikh, Tsumadinskaya and Novolakskaya districts.
Nevertheless, the situation in the districts remains complicated, Tinamagomedov said. Commandant units manned with reservists and organized by military commissioner's offices are maintaining public order and patrol the administrative border with Chechnya. "Some 20,000 militiamen from Dagestan are ready to rebuff provocative sallies of bandit groups," Tinamagomedov added.