MOSCOW. March 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The withdrawal of extra troops from Chechnya that is to start in a few days will not concern the airborne troops group operating within the unified federal troops group in the North Caucasus, Airborne Commander Georgy Shpak told Interfax-Military News Agency on Tuesday.
"The departure of first trains with excessive troops from Chechnya planned for March 5 will not concern the airborne troops group operating within the unified federal troops group in the southern part of the republic. No orders to this effect have been made to the Airborne Staff by the General Staff and Defense Ministry," Shpak said.
He stressed that paratrooper task forces that accomplish missions in three southern districts of Chechnya still focus on searching and destroying guerilla gangs along with arms and ammo caches.
"Due to the conduction of the referendum in Chechnya, the paratroopers are also tasked to prevent penetration of separate guerilla groups from mountain areas to valleys and Grozny. For this purpose, security has been tightened at checkpoints located in paratroopers' areas of responsibility," Shpak noted.
He said that the airborne group in Chechnya comprises one regiment-size task force and two battalion-size task forces, as well as a reconnaissance unit. Its personnel numbers some 2,500 servicemen.