MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax-AVN) - In 2003, a total of 971 Defense Ministry servicemen died in Russia from various causes, a high-ranking military source told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
The source said the number includes officers and enlisted men who died in Chechnya and other regions while on military missions, and also servicemen who died while they were off duty in car accidents and other incidents.
The source said that compared to 2002, the number of servicemen who died in Chechnya has dropped.
"In 2002, 463 servicemen died on Chechen territory, while in 2003, the number was 263," he said.