ROSTOV-ON-DON. Nov 12 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has announced plans of reducing the army force in Chechnya.
"The withdrawal of tactical groups of the Airborne Force from Chechnya before the end of the year will mean that the Defense Ministry grouping deployed in the Chechen Republic will be reduced by approximately 1,000 servicemen," he told reporters in Rostov-on-Don on Friday.
"The tactical groups of the 76th airborne division and the Caspian marine brigade are currently stationed in the mountains of Chechnya. We plan to pull them out of Chechnya at the beginning of next year while units of the 42nd division will assume their duties," he said.