Casualties among Russian servicemen in Chechnya diminished

The casualties among the servicemen of the Interior Ministry forces of Russia in Chechnya diminished by 25-30 per cent compared to last year, commander-in-chief of the Ministry of the Interior forces of Russia Colonel-General Vyacheslav Tikhomirov stated.

Speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the military council to sum up the work of the Interior troops from the beginning of 2002, the General also said that over the above-said period the activity of illegal armed formations in the North-Caucasian region has perceptibly declined.

Tikhomirov stressed that over the past five months Russian Interior Ministry servicemen of Russia destroyed 400 caches on Chechen territory and confiscated a large amount of arms, military hardware, ammunition and explosive devices.