DATE=10/1/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / CHECHNYA (L)
NUMBER=2-254558
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
/// Re-issuing to correct CR number ///
INTRO: A shipment of United Nations humanitarian aid
has arrived in Russia's north Caucasus region to help
refugees who are fleeing the Russian air strikes on
Chechnya. V-O-A's Peter Heinlein in Moscow reports
tent camps are being built along Chechnya's border
with Ingushetia, not far from where Russian troops are
massing for a possible ground invasion.
TEXT: A convoy of U-N refugee agency trucks crossed
into Ingushetia Friday, bringing 80 tons of supplies
for the nearly 100-thousand Chechen refugees camped
there.
But U-N-H-C-R spokesman Valeria Sokolova says with the
refugee population increasing daily, the supplies of
both food and non-food items such as tents and plastic
sheeting are far short of what is needed.
/// SOKOLOVA ACT ///
The food will be enough for from eight-thousand
to nine-thousand people for duration of one
month, and the other items are for long-term
use, and are enough for from five to six-
thousand persons.
/// END ACT ///
Another convoy of Russian aid left Moscow Friday with
additional food, clothing and bedding. But officials
in Ingushetia, one of the poorest regions in Russia,
are warning of an impending humanitarian crisis when
cold rainy weather sets in, probably within weeks.
Elsewhere along the Chechen border, Russian troops
were shown on television Friday digging trenches, in
keeping with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's order to
seal off the breakaway region. Military sources said
Russian warplanes are keeping up air raids that began
nearly a month ago on targets inside Chechnya.
Russia says the precision strikes are destroying
strategic installations used by Chechen fighters, but
Chechnya says hundreds of civilians have been killed.
Friday, the government of Azerbaijan reported Russian
jets had bombed an Azerbaijani village more than 100
kilometers from Chechnya. Defense ministry officials
in Moscow denied the report.
Meanwhile, Russia is keeping Chechnya guessing about
the possibility of a ground invasion. When asked
about widespread media reports that soldiers had moved
across the border and established positions on Chechen
territory, Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said, "a
sanitary zone is being created that will be sufficient
to guarantee security." He gave no further details.
The president of Ingushetia, Ruslan Aushev, Friday
predicted a ground invasion would be catastrophic.
/// AUSHEV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
He says "If Russian federal forces can wipe them out,
and the support is there, then go ahead. But I am sure
the losses will be huge."
The previous Chechen war from 1994 to 1996 left an
estimated 80-thousand people dead, including tens of
thousands of inexperienced Russian soldiers. In the
end, Russia was forced to pull its troops out, leaving
Chechnya to govern itself for the past three years.
(Signed)
NEB/PFH/JWH/KL
01-Oct-1999 14:16 PM EDT (01-Oct-1999 1816 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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