The Messenger, Georgia
June 7 2005

Russia launches new brigade to “prevent terrorists” from Georgia

The Russian government has announced that two new light mountain
rifle brigades will be set up along the Georgian-Russian border.
Sergey Ivanov, the defense minister of the Russian Federation, made
the announcement. “The resolution has been passed at all levels.
Funding will be large – up to 1 billion rubles[USD 55 million],” he
said in a statement to journalists. “They will be deployed at the
border between Georgia and Russia with the goal of supporting our
border guards under a special program aimed at preventing terrorists
from traveling from Georgian territory to Russia.”
Ivanov also spoke about the two Russian military bases to be
withdrawn from Georgia by 2008. “We are to withdraw about 2,500
military and their families, about 2,500 units of heavy equipment,
80,000 tons of ammunition, military property and different goods,”
Ivanov said.
He noted that the equipment and the property, as well as the
personnel, would leave by sea. Some parts of the equipment will be
re-deployed to the Russian military base in Armenia.
“The bases were deployed there not by Russia, but by the USSR. They
have no military role,” he declared.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress