15:55, 5 February 2004

263 Defense Ministry servicemen killed in Chechnya in 2003

In 2003, the Russian Defense Ministry lost 263 servicemen in Chechnya, a high-ranking ministry source reported on January 4.

"The Ministry's losses in Chechnya have been decreasing. 463 Defense Ministry servicemen were killed in the republic in 2002; 263 were killed in 2003," the source said.

There have been weeks in 2004 when no Defense Ministry serviceman has been killed or wounded, he said.

The Defense Ministry's forces "are responsible for the mountain regions in the republic, or approximately for one third of Chechnya. Mainly special forces operate there," he added.

The Defense Ministry's group in Chechnya has been reduced from 53,000 to 31,000 servicemen, with 20,000 of them being stationed there permanently, the source said.

"There are no hostilities in Chechnya now. Our special forces operate there very effectively. And the very many want to take their experience over," he said.

A total of 971 Defense Ministry servicemen were lost in Russia for various reasons in 2003, the official announced.

Source: Interfax News Agency