Serious resistance

Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation expressed his opinion that the anti-terrorist campaign of the Federal Forces in Chechnya in coming to an end. According to RIA "Novosti", the minister said that there would be no need of a fourth stage of the operation, because all the goals would be achieved in the framework of the third stage. Marshal Sergeev mentioned that the militants put up serious resistance to the federal troops in Grozny. All the further tasks, as Sergeev emphasized, will be fulfilled on the basis of the main criteria: minimization of the losses among soldiers. Federal Forces will conduct the liberation of Grozny according to the conditions of the situation. Marshal Sergeev is also concerned with problems among civilians. It is necessary to provide people with employment and to give them an opportunity to earn their living. Though it depends more on the economic and social policy of the government, much of this still depend upon the Russian Army.