More than 500 hiding places for weapons destroyed in Chechnya in first half of 2003

More than 500 hiding places for weapons and more than 1300 small oil refineries have been destroyed in Chechnya in the first half of 2003, said Chief Commander of Internal Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Army General Vyacheslav Tikhomirov at a session of the Ministry's internal forces war council on June 20.

Tikhomirov also said that the formation of the commandant's office has improved the quality and level of interaction in deciding problems between territorial organs of executive power and armed forces. Moreover, the work of operational district headquarters and population centers has also been activated. Tikhomirov said that thanks to that 'we have been successful in increasing the level of trust of the population to activities of federal power.' He said that the military commandant's office receives upwards of 700 requests from citizens monthly and of those up to 80% are 'decided operationally.'