MONUMENT UNVEILED TO PARATROOPERS KILLED IN CHECHNYA








PSKOV, MARCH 1, 2001. /From RIA Novosti correspondent Alexander Konovalov/. The unveiling ceremony of a memorial complex to the paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Company of the Pskov division was held in the ancient Russian town of Pskov.  


	Eighty-four paratroopers were killed in a battle in Ulus-Kert a year ago. The heroic death of a whole company of servicemen shocked Russian society, which after that made a sharp turn towards the army, demanding that the grouping in Chechnya be better provided with all it needs, said General Shpak, commander of the airborne troops of the Russian Federation. "We were particularly helped at that grave moment by President Vladimir Putin, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Russia," noted the general.


	The commemoration service for the paratroopers was held at the St. Trinity Cathedral, and memorial plaques with the names of the killed soldiers were opened in the Alexander Nevsky Church.


	At present paratroopers carry out, above all, reconnaissance and search operations in Chechnya, and arrest the ringleaders of bandit formations. According to General Shpak, now the presence in Chechnya of the grouping of troops, including paratroopers, alone, enables the heads of district administrations and the leadership of the Chechen Republic as a whole to work more stably.