SECOND TRAIN WITH RUSSIAN MILITARY HARDWARE EN ROUTE FROM GEORGIA APPROACHING STATE BORDER

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
May 24, 2006 Wednesday 11:34 AM MSK

The second train with materiel of the 62nd Russian military base
being withdrawn from Georgia passed the Kyzyl station early on
Wednesday and is approaching the Azerbaijani- Russian border, Colonel
Vladimir Kuparadze, deputy commander of the Russian military force
in Transcaucasia, told Interfax-Military News Agency.

“The train has been moving as scheduled without any incidents, and we
believe that customs and border guard procedures on the state border
will be quick,” Kuparadze said.

“The train will bring to Russia 35 special automobiles, 36.5 tonnes
of ammunition, and other materiel of the 62nd military base stationed
in the Georgian town of Akhalkalaki,” he noted.

Kuparadze recalled that the first train with Russian materiel left
Georgia on May 15 and brought to Russia seven T-72 tanks, 12 APCs
and automobiles of the 62nd base.

“Before the end of 2006, 20 more trains with hardware, armaments and
materiel of Russian military bases, i.e. about 400 cars and flatcars,
are to leave Georgia to deliver up to 500 pieces of military hardware,”
he said.

The loading of the third train has ended in Batumi, Kuparadze went on.

“This train will bring part of special logistics support equipment and
other materiel of the 12th Russian military base in Batumi to Armenia,
where it will be added to the inventory of the 102nd military base
in Gyumri,” he noted.

The departure of the third train is scheduled for Sunday morning.