DATE=12/18/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA - CHECHNYA (L)
NUMBER=2-257274
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Russia is increasing the intensity of air and
ground attacks in Chechnya, advancing into the
capital, Grozny from three directions. VOA's Peter
Heinlein in Moscow reports there are indications
federal troops may have begun their long-awaited
campaign to capture the rebel capital.
TEXT: Russia is ignoring international calls for a
ceasefire in Chechnya, pouring rocket and artillery
rounds into the center of Grozny and intensifying
attacks in the breakaway region's southern mountains.
In the south, where the largest concentration of
rebels is based, a Chechen military commander was
quoted as saying attacks were coming in waves every 15
to 20 minutes.
Reporters in the capital say Russian ground troops are
advancing slowly toward
the center from three directions. The strategy appears
to be to draw fire from rebels, then pull back and
pound the Chechen positions with artillery and rocket
fire.
A senior general Friday said federal forces hope to
take the city by New Year's Day, indicating the long-
awaited push to take Grozny may have begun.
But the cautious tactics being used on the ground are
designed to avoid the heavy losses Russian troops
suffered in the last war, and suggest the campaign may
take much longer.
Troops have been pounding the rebel region from a
distance with rockets, artillery and air strikes for
more than three months. The ground invasion began in
late September, and has re-established Moscow's
control over more than 50-percent of Chechen
territory. The rebels still hold the largely destroyed
capital, and the mountainous south.
Friday, Russia attempted to cut off what is believed
to be an important rebel supply line south to
neighboring Georgia, the only foreign country
bordering Chechnya. Federal paratroopers parachuted in
along the border and blockaded
the road.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called the operation a
"turning point" in the campaign to crush the rebels.
On the eve of parliamentary elections, Russian
officials sternly rebuffed foreign
criticism of the war. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov
said there was no chance Moscow would pay attention to
fresh calls from the Group of Seven leading
industrialized countries and the European Union for a
ceasefire.
Those calls came after Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut
Vollebaek warned of a possible "bloodbath" unless an
immediate ceasefire is implemented. Mr.
Vollebaek had just returned from a visit to the
breakaway region in his capacity as chairman of the
European security organization, the O-S-C-E. (Signed)
NEB/PH/PLM
18-Dec-1999 05:55 AM EDT (18-Dec-1999 1055 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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