MOSCOW. Oct 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Inspection of the Russian peacekeeping battalion in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone has been completed, a spokesman for the Unified HQ of the Joint Peacekeeping Force said on Friday.
"A commission led by Lieutenant General Valery Yevnevich, deputy commander-in-chief of the Land Forces for peacekeeping troops, completed inspection of the Russian battalion within the Joint Peacekeeping Force on Friday," the spokesman told Interfax-Military News Agency by phone from Tskhinvali.
During the inspection trip, the commission checked peacekeepers' firing skills and arrangement of service at posts and checkpoints," the spokesman said.
"The deputy commander-in-chief said he was satisfied by combat readiness of the Russian peacekeeping battalion," he noted.
Yevnevich handed over medals to 40 Russian peacekeepers for exemplary discharge of their responsibilities in the conflict zone.
"In addition, the deputy commander-in-chief introduced the new peacekeeping force commander, Major General Marat Kulakhmetov, to Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze in Tbilisi," the spokesman said.
The Joint Peacekeeping Force comprising a Russian, a Georgian, and an Ossetian battalions was deployed in the conflict zone in 1992. Each battalion is 500 man strong.