MOSCOW. Nov 2 (Interfax-AVN) - Colonel General Nikolai Rogozhkin, Russian Interior Ministry Forces Commander-in-Chief, said that conscripts of his forces would still man units in Chechnya in 2005.
"In light of some peculiarities of Interior Ministry Forces positions in the North Caucasus, and primarily in Chechnya, we cannot afford manning all our units in the republic with volunteers only starting from 2005, unlike the Defense Ministry. Therefore, we will have to send conscripts for service there next year too," he told reporters during the Monday meeting with Interior Ministry Forces athletesm who had participated in the 28th Olympic Games in Athens.
He emphasized, however, that only servicemen with a six-month record of training and certain skills in duty and combat service would be sent to Chechnya.
In response to a question from Interfax-Military News Agency, he said that the 46th detached brigade of the Interior Ministry Forces, deployed in Chechnya on a permanent basis, is manned with conscripts by 45 percent now.
"By the next year-end we will make it 50 percent in compliance with the federal purpose-oriented program," he said.
Commenting on the Interior Ministry Forces' combat activity in Chechnya, he said that general stabilization can be observed in the North Caucasus now, and that the Interior Ministry Forces fulfil all missions assigned successfully.
He added that leaders of North Caucasian regions approve of the initiative to form operative command groups to prevent terrorist attacks.
He emphasized that the initiative is an effective response to the existing terrorist threat in the North Caucasus.
"We held an exercise in the North Caucasus last week refining the antiterrorism skills and tactics, which was praised by all leaders in the region," he said.