20 July 2005, 16:24
Over 30 servicemen allegedly killed in clash
"Over 30 servicemen of the Main Intelligence Department (GRU) of the Russian Defense Ministry's General Staff have been killed in a clash in the Vedeno district of Chechnya recently," a source on the staff said to the Caucasian Knot correspondent on 19 July. The death of special operations soldiers has not been officially reported earlier.
According to the officer, two reconnaissance units were ambushed and suddenly attacked. "They had time to take a defense position but were destroyed from grenade-launchers," the man explained. "Several dozens of rebels were destroyed by return fire, thought the bodies were taken from the battlefield. The only survived GRU officer saw it." The Caucasian Knot has information the killed servicemen belonged to the GRU's Ussuriyskaya Brigade.
The Defense Ministry has refused to give comments on the reported death of GRU officers.
Author: Alexander Grigoriev, CK correspondent
