PLANS OF WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN BASES IN 2006 IMPLEMENTED 100%
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 20, 2006 Wednesday
According to Major General Andrei Popov, Commander of the Russian
Army Group in the Caucasus, the plans of withdrawal of Russian
military bases from Georgia were fully implemented.
"The plan of withdrawal from Georgia is implemented 100% this year.
Everything was sent back home by the schedule. All military hardware
and whatever withdrawn from Georgia is already in Russia and Armenia.
The last echelon is leaving the station of Tsalka for Russia on
September 19. All military hardware from Georgia will be distributed
among units in Russia by September 25," Popov said. "After September
19, the 62nd Base in Akhalkalaki will only contain the vehicles that
are needed to maintain everyday activity of the base until 2007 when
it will be closed for good."
"Phase one of the withdrawal is over. The bases will continue
functioning in the withdrawal mode until the end of 2008," Popov
added.
All in all, 727 vehicles and 2,626.6 tons of materiel were withdrawn
from the 12th and 62nd bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki. Six railroad
echelons went to Armenia from the 12th Base and 19 to Russia from the
62nd. Sixteen convoys with munitions were dispatched to the military
base in Gyumri (Armenia), not to mention 12 convoys of military
hardware (25 railroad echelons and 28 vehicles). Along with that, 358
vehicles and 1,671.2 tons of materiel including 1,178.7 tons of
munitions were sent to Russia via Azerbaijan.
According to Popov, "transfer to the Georgian army of the objects the
Russian Army Group in the Caucasus is not using is also planned for
2006."
Source: RIA-Novosti news agency, September 18, 2006,
Translated by A. Ignatkin