ST.PETERSBURG. Dec 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The number of professional servicemen of the Leningrad military district who are willing to serve within the Russian military contingent in Bosnia is three times higher than required, the district's deputy chief-of-staff Major General Alexander Ushakov said on Thursday.
"Two or three servicemen compete for each position of privates and sergeants. The best prepared soldiers are selected for service in the Russian military contingent," Ushakov told Interfax-Military News Agency.
More than 50 percent of selected servicemen have gained peacekeeping experience during operations in CIS nations and other foreign countries.
The rotation of the district's servicemen in Bosnia is more than 50 percent complete. The district training center in the Pskov region is training soldiers for service in peacekeeping units.
"The tensity of combat training in the center under command of Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Namestnikov can be compared with the pace of combat training in permanent-readiness units," Ushakov said.
Ushakov, who has been in charge of peacekeeping issues in the district headquarters for more than a year, said he had made sure that Russian peacekeepers were thoroughly trained during his service trip to Bosnia.
"Skills are manifested in routine service and in joint operations with U.S. colleagues and servicemen from other countries," the officer said.
The Russian peacekeeping contingent headquartered in Ugljevic has been operating within SFOR since January 1996. It accomplishes peacekeeping missions in northeastern Bosnia. The contingent was created in June 2002 as a result of the reduction in the 1st separate airborne brigade of the Land Forces that was a part of SFOR.
Colonel Sergei Shakurin has been in command of the contingent since October this year. The contingent numbers 260 servicemen and more than 150 combat vehicles and automobiles.