Tweet
Withdrawal of military base from Batumi no easy task - Russian TV
Ren TV, Moscow
2 Jun 05
[Presenter] Relocation of military hardware from the [Russian] military
base in Batumi is under way. The first train has been dispatched to
[the Russian base in] Gyumri, Armenia. Aleksandr Onosovskiy reports
from Georgia.
[Correspondent] The 12th base in Batumi has switched to a pullout
regime. To make it simple, the Russian military are doing the
packing job.
Military training has been cut to a minimum. There is a lot of
equipment to deal with. The command of the base says it will be
unrealistic to transport it to Russia in three years, as planned.
There are nearly 1,000 tanks and other armoured vehicles. Almost all
of them have stood outdoors for years. Starting their engines would
be problematic.
[Correspondent, off camera] I understand that you have been given
the task. But is it realistic?
[Lt-Col Yevgeniy Karchagin, captioned as chief of the department
for storage of weapons and equipment of the 12th base] We shall do
everything we can to fulfil the task, but the task is very difficult.
We have no way out.
[Correspondent] Another headache is created by metal thieves. Every
time a serviceman turns his back for a moment, some tank part
disappears immediately.
[Bagrad Mgeladze, captioned as warrant officer] You think he is
digging the ground and the next minute he is climbing onto a tank.
[Correspondent] Almost all jobless men in Batumi have become metal
hunters. Buyers pay them 100 dollars for a tonne and sell scrap
metal to Turkey. The collection point is just around the corner. Very
convenient.
[Unidentified man, speaking to camera] There are no jobs, that's why
we do it.
[Correspondent] Inscriptions like "Restricted Area. Intruders Will
be Shot" do not frighten anybody. Another thief has escaped safely.
Soldiers were pursuing him without zeal, because they were also locals
and understood his problems.
Most contract soldiers at the 12th base are Batumi natives. They are
ethnic Georgians with Russian passports. Their families and homes
are here.
Now they will have to make a choice. Almost everybody decided to move
to Russia. They say they have no way out.
[Shalva Ebralidze, captioned as private] If I do not serve until the
end of the contract, we shall lose everything and be left without
flats and pensions.
[Correspondent] The military have another problem. This is the
artillery dump of the 12th base, where hundreds of thousands of shells,
cartridges and grenades are kept in store. A significant part of the
ammunition is old and transporting it to Russia would be dangerous.
It would be much simpler and safer to destroy everything by blasts
at a local shooting range, but Georgian environmentalists object this.
[Col Nodari Kocharyan, captioned as chief of missile troops and
artillery of the 12th base] The environmentalists have always been
unhappy with us, and now their indignation will double, because
passions have risen high. They want us to leave as soon as possible.
Even if nothing bad happens, they will be looking for negative things
and picking on every serviceman.
[Correspondent] In spite of the difficulties, the process of
withdrawal has started. The first trainload of lorries and means
of chemical protection has been dispatched to the Russian military
base in Armenia. But the main part of the equipment is to be sent
to Russia by the sea. This process will apparently take a long time,
because the Russian Black Sea Fleet has only two large assault ships
able to carry heavy armoured vehicles.
Ren TV, Moscow
2 Jun 05
[Presenter] Relocation of military hardware from the [Russian] military
base in Batumi is under way. The first train has been dispatched to
[the Russian base in] Gyumri, Armenia. Aleksandr Onosovskiy reports
from Georgia.
[Correspondent] The 12th base in Batumi has switched to a pullout
regime. To make it simple, the Russian military are doing the
packing job.
Military training has been cut to a minimum. There is a lot of
equipment to deal with. The command of the base says it will be
unrealistic to transport it to Russia in three years, as planned.
There are nearly 1,000 tanks and other armoured vehicles. Almost all
of them have stood outdoors for years. Starting their engines would
be problematic.
[Correspondent, off camera] I understand that you have been given
the task. But is it realistic?
[Lt-Col Yevgeniy Karchagin, captioned as chief of the department
for storage of weapons and equipment of the 12th base] We shall do
everything we can to fulfil the task, but the task is very difficult.
We have no way out.
[Correspondent] Another headache is created by metal thieves. Every
time a serviceman turns his back for a moment, some tank part
disappears immediately.
[Bagrad Mgeladze, captioned as warrant officer] You think he is
digging the ground and the next minute he is climbing onto a tank.
[Correspondent] Almost all jobless men in Batumi have become metal
hunters. Buyers pay them 100 dollars for a tonne and sell scrap
metal to Turkey. The collection point is just around the corner. Very
convenient.
[Unidentified man, speaking to camera] There are no jobs, that's why
we do it.
[Correspondent] Inscriptions like "Restricted Area. Intruders Will
be Shot" do not frighten anybody. Another thief has escaped safely.
Soldiers were pursuing him without zeal, because they were also locals
and understood his problems.
Most contract soldiers at the 12th base are Batumi natives. They are
ethnic Georgians with Russian passports. Their families and homes
are here.
Now they will have to make a choice. Almost everybody decided to move
to Russia. They say they have no way out.
[Shalva Ebralidze, captioned as private] If I do not serve until the
end of the contract, we shall lose everything and be left without
flats and pensions.
[Correspondent] The military have another problem. This is the
artillery dump of the 12th base, where hundreds of thousands of shells,
cartridges and grenades are kept in store. A significant part of the
ammunition is old and transporting it to Russia would be dangerous.
It would be much simpler and safer to destroy everything by blasts
at a local shooting range, but Georgian environmentalists object this.
[Col Nodari Kocharyan, captioned as chief of missile troops and
artillery of the 12th base] The environmentalists have always been
unhappy with us, and now their indignation will double, because
passions have risen high. They want us to leave as soon as possible.
Even if nothing bad happens, they will be looking for negative things
and picking on every serviceman.
[Correspondent] In spite of the difficulties, the process of
withdrawal has started. The first trainload of lorries and means
of chemical protection has been dispatched to the Russian military
base in Armenia. But the main part of the equipment is to be sent
to Russia by the sea. This process will apparently take a long time,
because the Russian Black Sea Fleet has only two large assault ships
able to carry heavy armoured vehicles.