Russian defence minister Sergei Ivanov on Georgia's extradition of terrorist attack organizer

Russian defence minister Sergei Ivanov believes the extradition by the Georgian authorities of Adam Dekkushev, an organizer of terrorist attacks in Russia, is "a step in the right direction", he said in a conversation with Russian journalists during his visit to Norway.

"We only welcome the fact that the Georgian special services have found and extradited the terrorist to Russia. We should continue work in this direction, and it fully corresponds the interests of Georgia itself," he stressed.

Casualties among the federal forces in Chechnya have recently significantly decreased, Ivanov pointed out. The terrorist attacks are mainly targeted at civilians, there are no large diversions, which proves that rebels lack enough force.

"The need for the presence of regular army units in Chechnya is gradually decreasing, so we intend to withdraw redundant troops," the minister added.