From: (Michael Petukhov)
Date: 2/5/2004 3:02 AM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

http://lenta.ru/vojna/2004/02/04/poteri/

in russian

Summary; Russian army representative told that 463 servicemen killed
in 2002 in Chechenya. The same number for 2003 is 263 men. It was
noted that this year there are weeks when nobody killed and
nobody wounded at all. During last year total number of russian
troops in Chechenya has been decreased from 53,000 to 31,000.
This number includes 20000 servicemen of one army division (#42)
and one brigade of VV deployed in Chechenya on permanent
basis and which will stay forever. There is no active fighting
going on in Chechenya, although the source said that SPETZNAZ units
continue improving their tactics of antipartizan war in effective
operations, the subject of big intel interest from the west. He noted also
that during 2003 totally 971 russian army servicemen died due to all
reasons. Thus war in Chechenya is not a primary reason any more.

It was noted also that according to London based The International
Institute for Strategic Studies, IISS Russian losses in chechnya
are increasing every year. For instance according to that source
our losses (it was not stated but I hope including wounded and
sick) between 08.2002 and 08.2003 were 4749 service men.

I know someone would prefer to believe that crap. Good for you.
Frankly I have nothing against that.

Michael

Compared to some of the whopper you have told us the IISS numbers are probably
more accurate. I hear the Checyans have doubled their Army to 4 Girls Scouts
whould could explain why the Russians have lost so many men.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired