MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax-AVN) - The rotation of the Russian battalion of the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone will take place in late November.
"The rotation of the peacekeeping battalion, which is serving in the northern security zone in Abkhazia, will begin on November 27 and last for five days," Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny Morenko of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces' command told Interfax-Military News Agency by phone.
He noted that "despite the complicated interior political situation, the peacekeepers are serving as before, and are completely fulfilling their duties in accordance with the mandate."
"Reports from Georgian sources about the rotation taking place earlier than usual and being related to the complication of the situation in Abkhazia are not true - this is a planned rotation," Morenko said.
The Collective Peacekeeping Forces manned with Russian servicemen have been deployed in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone since 1994 under the CIS aegis. Peacekeepers maintain 16 posts in the northern security zone (Abkhazia) and 12 posts and observation points in the southern security zone (Georgia's Zugdidi district).