MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax-AVN) - Lieutenant General Georgy Sokolov, chief of the military communications directorate in the Russian Defense Ministry, told Interfax-Military News Agency Friday that all troop trains return from Chechnya under cover by ironclad trains of the Railroad Forces.
"As of now, the transportation in Chechnya is organized in a manner that all trains with servicemen, equipment and ammunition are protected by one or two ironclad trains of the Defense Ministry's Railroad Forces," he said.
He added that the increased security measures were taken to prevent possible terror attacks.
"The ironclad trains are equipped to detect and destroy bombs. They also have heavy weapons that can counter any armed attack of extremists at any sector of the railroad in Chechnya. Therefore, no large-scale sabotage or terrorist acts have been observed at the railroad in Chechnya," he said.
Sokolov added that one or two trains of the Defense Ministry come to Chechnya once a week.
"It is already a year since the railroad transportation of the Defense Ministry has reduced, which is due to the fact that the command of the anti-terrorist operation is vested in the Russian Interior Ministry, and most of the transportation is ensured by the defense transportation directorate of the Interior Ministry Forces," he said.
He added that the budget of the central defense transportation directorate reached 18 billion rubles ($641 million) in 2005.
"This makes about 80% of the required sum to provide all transportation of the Russian Armed Forces," he said.