MOSCOW MILITARY DISTRICT TROOP'S WITHDRAWAL FROM CHECHNYA TO BEGIN ON WEDNESDAY








MOSCOW, MARCH 13. /RIA NOVOSTI'S CORRESPONDENT ALEXANDER KONOVALOV/ -- Pullout of troops of the Moscow military district from Chechnya will begin on Wednesday, reported Colonel-General Igor Puzanov, commander of the military district.


	Under a plan developed by the general staff of the Russian armed forces and the command of the Moscow military district, approximately 1,000 servicemen will be pulled out by April 1. Motor infantry units withdrawn from Chechnya will return to their permanent dislocations. Standard military hardware, tanks and artillery systems included, will be withdrawn from Chechnya.


	Part of materiel of the Moscow military district's units will stay in Chechnya to be used by the personnel of the 42nd motor infantry division, which is permanently stationed there, said General Puzanov.


	In turn, a spokesman of the Russian general staff said that the on-going withdrawal from Chechnya of the 74th motor infantry brigade of the Siberian military district will not affect the combativity of the federal force during the anti-terrorist operation. Troop reduction in Chechnya concerns mostly Defense Ministry units. Interior and FSB units will not be reduced. Moreover, together with reduction of the army grouping in Chechnya the FSB grouping will be beefed up.


	Until recently, the strength of units of the Defense Ministry, which are part of the 80,000-strong federal force in Chechnya, constituted 40,000 servicemen. (nov/nog)