DATE=1/4/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / CHECHNYA (L)
NUMBER=2-257759
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Russia's military says it is making its way
slowly towards the center of the Chechen capital,
Grozny, despite continued resistance from rebel
fighters in the city. Moscow correspondent Eve Conant
reports the rebels have a firm grip on Grozny and on
Chechnya's mountainous south.
TEXT: Russian military sources say groups of Chechen
rebels are trying to flee the besieged capital of
Grozny as federal troops continue to bombard it with
air and artillery attacks. But rebel spokesman,
Movladi Udugov, says Chechen forces are concentrated
in downtown areas and have firm control of Grozny,
except for the northern district of Staropromyslovsky.
Russian news agencies report rebels have planted mines
and trip wires on roads leading into the center,
making the federal advance risky.
Russian military sources say the bombardment of
Chechnya is continuous. They say Russian aircraft
carried out dozens of sorties (Tuesday) over Chechnya
- destroying rebel targets including an anti-aircraft
installation and communications center. Warplanes
also pounded rebel bases in Chechnya's southern
mountains and in the villages of Kharachoi, Argun, and
Vedeno.
Vedeno is believed to be a rebel stronghold led by
Shamil Basayev, the man Moscow blames for leading an
incursion into neighboring Dagestan and for
orchestrating the bombings of four apartment buildings
in Russia. Mr. Basayev denied involvement in the bomb
attacks.
A Chechen field commander says his men were fighting
for control of Alkhan-Yurt, a sizeable Russian-
occupied town southwest of Grozny. He said federal
troops were suffering significant losses. But Russian
forces say fighting in villages to the southwest of
Grozny resulted from a failed attempt by Chechen
rebels to escape the federal stronghold around the
capital. (SIGNED)
NEB/EC/GE/RAE
04-Jan-2000 09:28 AM EDT (04-Jan-2000 1428 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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