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Free Chechen Republic: Comments

January 31, 2000

During the past day Russian troops in Grozny took control of several high-rise buildings alone the Gudermessakaya Street. This allows Russian forces to completely control movements of Chechen rebel units from central Grozny to the northern parts of the city. In the past day Russian troops and destroyed 13 trucks and all-terrain vehicles as well as four rebel strongholds in Grozny. According to the deputy commander of Russian Interior Ministry troops, Lt. Gen. Stanislav Kavun, over 4000 Interior Ministry troops are currently involved in combat operations in Grozny. Since the beginning of ground campaign in Chechnya Russia's Interior Ministry troops conducted over 300 combat operations and destroyed over 1000 Chechen rebels, 20 artillery pieces and mortars. Currently Russian Interior Ministry forces are involved in controlling the 340-km-long borders connecting Chechnya with Dagestan, Ingushetia, and North Ossetiya. He Interior Ministry troops are also involved in controlling southern parts of Chechnya along a 115-km-long perimeter line. In Chechnya Interior Ministry forces provided security for 23 towns liberated by federal forces. According to Lt. Gen. Stanislav Kavun, somewhere between 700 and 1000 rebel fighters still remain in Grozny, while about 5000 fighters operate in the south of the province. Almost every day Russian troops destroy 30-40 Chechen rebels attempting to escape from Grozny. Majority of rebel fighters remaining in the city are believed to be foreign mercenaries. Some 35 civilians, including seven children, left Grozny during the past day, bringing the total number of civilians to escape from the city using the safe routes established by the Russian troops to 9590 people.

Russian military aircraft flew 110 combat missions in Chechnya during the past day and destroyed 20 rebel strongholds, four reinforced positions in Argun and Vedeno canyons, one mobile communications system, four anti-aircraft artillery systems, two long-term firing positions, seven trucks. Two flights were carried out by Il-76 transport aircraft delivering 120 troops and 12 tons of supplies. Two Russian Mi-8 transport helicopters came under fire today over southern Chechnya. The pilot of one of the Mi-8s, Hero of the Soviet Union Col. Nikolai Majdanov, was fatally wounded but managed to take his aircraft back to the base. Col. Majdanov died in the cockpit. The flight engineer was also seriously wounded. The helicopter was safely landed by the copilot. Majdanov's funeral will beheld in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. The crew of the second Mi-8 sustained no injuries.

The leader of Chechen militia, Bislan Gantamirov, is currently negotiating a surrender of rebel fighters in the area of Minutka square. During the past few days federal troops gained full control of the third and fourth residential districts in Staraya Sunzha area of Grozny. Russian Defense Minister, Igor Sergeyev, expects more Chechen rebels to surrender in Grozny in the next few days. At the moment the officially-confirmed number of Chechen rebels to surrender in the city in the past two days is 182. Competition is growing between Bislan Gantamirov, the official commander of Chechen police and the second senior Russian government official in the province, and is main political rival Malik Saydullayev, a Chechen millionaire and the chairman of Chechnya's state council. Saydullayev promised that about 7000 Chechen rebels will surrender to federal forces. However, so far none of Saydullayev's promises came true. Saydullayev is criticizing the Russian government for the lack of support while Russian government officials accuse Saydullayev of conducting unauthorized peace negotiations with Chechen rebel commanders. In my opinion Saydullayev is too ambitious and too unreliable to be granted any significant official powers in Chechnya beyond the authority he already has as the head of Chechnya's state council. It is quite clear to me that Chechnya's current President Aslan Maskhadov will no longer be acknowledged by the Russian government as the legitimate president of Chechnya. Once Grozny is under federal control, Maskhadov is likely to lose any support from Basayev and Khattab. Thus, Saydullayev and Gantamirov, as well as Chechnya's religious leader Kadyrov, become the primary presidential candidates.