The Hindu : International : Putin fires top army brass over rebel raid

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Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004

International

International

Putin fires top army brass over rebel raid

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, JULY 19. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has fired the armed forces' Chief of Staff and other top military and law enforcement officials held responsible for an embarrassing rebel raid on several towns in southern Russia last month.

Mr. Putin today dismissed Gen. Anatoly Kvashnin as the armed forces' Chief of General Staff, and Gen. Vyacheslav Tikhomirov, the head of the Interior Ministry forces.

Both were blamed for inaction and lack of coordination between the Army and Interior Ministry during June's brazen attack by Chechen rebels on Ingushetia, a Russian region neighbouring Chechnya.

Despite the presence of numerous military and security forces in Ingushetia, the attackers briefly seized three towns, killing 90 people, mostly police and security officials.

The President also dismissed Gen. Mikhail Labunets, commander of the North Caucasus military district, and Mr. Anatoly Yezhkov, deputy director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), who was the top security official for the North Caucasus.

Gen. Kvashnin has been replaced by Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, formerly First Deputy Chief of the General Staff.

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