Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his officials to seal an agreement which will, in effect, incorporate the armed forces of South Ossetia into the Russian military's command structure, Reuters reports. The Kremlin issued an order signed by Putin instructing the Russian defense and foreign ministries to work with the separatists to conclude and sign the agreement.
The agreement states that members of the South Ossetian armed forces can transfer to serve as Russian soldiers on a Russian military base in South Ossetia. This agreement complements the contract on integration of the Federation, which was signed by the presidents of the two countries on March 18, 2015.