JPKF Chief: Russian Peacekeepers Rotation Almost Over

500 Russian soldiers whose term of service as peacekeepers in the South Ossetian conflict zone has expired will leave the region on June 3, Maj. Gen. Marat Kulakhmetov, Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces (JPKF) deployed in the South Ossetian conflict zone told Georgian television Mze on June 2.

He said that rotation of the Russian peacekeeping battalion “has actually been finished” and newly arrived 500 Russian servicemen have already replaced those who have been serving in the conflict zone for last six months.

Georgia was accusing Russia of having extra troops in the South Ossetian conflict zone after starting rotation of peacekeepers in late May.

JPKF consists of three peacekeeping battalions from the Georgian, Russian and Russia’s North Ossetian sides. Each of the side should have no more than 500 servicemen in the peacekeeping battalion.