| The Russian army moved from Batumi to Vladikavkaz Today the first convoy of equipment is due to leave the Russian military base in Batumi. It consists of nine staff vehicles of the 12th Russian military base in Adjara and two escort vehicles. The equipment will head to Vladikavkaz under its own power. “Thus, we can say that we are beginning the process of withdrawing the bases,” Colonel Vladimir Kuparadze, deputy commander of the Group of Russian Forces in Transcaucasia, told Vremya Novostey. The withdrawal of the bases is provided for in a joint statement by the foreign ministers of Russia and Georgia dated May 30.
Yesterday, from the 62nd Russian military base in Akhalkalki to the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia, the Russian military tried to remove radiation-chemical-biological protection vehicles. Mr. Kuparadze especially emphasized that this is not the beginning of the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia, but the liberation of the Russian base from “surplus equipment,” which began long before the conclusion of the agreement between the heads of the Foreign Ministries.
However, the convoy was detained by Georgian border guards. There were too many “surpluses” - the border guards discovered that the Russian military did not have documents for a machine gun and several signal pistols. “We explained that this is an integral part of the weapon set of combat reconnaissance patrol vehicles (BRDM). We have been asked for additional documents and we will deliver them. The commander of the 62nd Akhalkalaki base has already prepared it,” Vladimir Kuparadze told VN. A few hours later the column continued its journey.
The next stage will be the withdrawal from August 5 to August 10 of about 40 tanks and other armored vehicles from the Batumi base. Large landing ships of the Black Sea Fleet will come for her. Base 12 is scheduled to close during 2008.
As for the 62nd military base in Akhalkalaki, which will be liquidated by the end of 2007, Russia asks Georgia to prepare bridges on this route, since in their current state they will not withstand heavy armored vehicles. Russian bases in Georgia currently house 115 tanks, 220 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, and 170 artillery systems. Mikhail VIGNANSKY, Tbilisi |
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