MOSCOW. July 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The train with military cargo that left the self-proclaimed Transdnestrian Republic overnight to Tuesday is expected to arrive at a Russian military district early next week, a competent source in the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"The departure of trains with military cargo has resumed in Transdnestria. The departure of cargoes is expected to resume in full, i.e. two trains a week, in the near future. The first train that left the Kolbasno terminal after a nearly month-long break is expected to reach its destination early next week," the source said.
"The train with military cargo that was held back by the Transdnestrian authorities for a long time eventually left Kolbasno at 2:00 a.m. Moscow time (2200 GMT)," he noted.
Before leaving, the fully loaded train was staying at a sidetrack for nearly a month. It was guarded by a special detachment of the Russian military force in Transdnestria. The loading of the train was completed on June 16, but the Transdnestrian administration banned its departure.
Explaining the decision, Transdnestrian President Igor Smirnov said the self-proclaimed republic has not received compensations in the form of writing off a part of its gas debt. According to Smirnov, the value of the Russian armament removed from Transdnestria has reached RUB530m (USD17.36m), but Russia has not written off USD100m from the republic's gas debt in violation of its earlier promises.
Head of the OSCE mission in Moldova Willian Hill told reporters on Tuesday that the problem of Russian trains departure is solved.
Property of the former 14th Russian army is being delivered back to Russia in compliance with decisions of the OSCE summit in Istanbul. The army's warehouses still contain over 30,000 tonnes of ammunition. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, about 70 trains are required to withdraw them.
Full-scale relocation of Russian armament and ammunition from Transdnestria started in March 2003. Two trains would leave the region every week for nearly three months. As a result, about 30 percent of cargoes were withdrawn.