The Georgian authorities helped the Chechen fighters to leave the Pankisi gorge and to go to Azerbaijan and Turkey. As reported by "Arminfo" agency referring to Russian sources, representative of the regional operational staff of the Armed Forces of Russia Ilya Shabalkin stated it. At the same time he alluded to the testimony of the fighters of Gelayev's detachment detained in the territory of Ingushetia. In Shabalkin's words, groups of fighters were led out to the central part of Georgia, from where they moved to Turkey through Kutaisi by bus. All of them had Russian and Georgian passports and entry visas on them.