YASTRZHEMBSKY: Let's begin with the operational situation in Chechnya. The day was relatively quiet in the republic. This is both a good and an alarming sign. This should worry those who are responsible for the safety of servicemen and civilians and for preparations for the [presidential] elections there. We get more signals to the effect that the bandit leaders still hope to thwart the elections in Chechnya, to prove that they still can do something. Of course, we check these signals, and many of them prove to be false, because there is an element of simulated activity there. And yet, it would be better to take preventive measures. This is what the command of the Joint Grouping of federal forces is doing now, reinforcing the commandants' companies, the Interior Troops, and the militia departments, in order to ensure proper elections.
The operational information is still concerned with Komsomolskoye. As of now, some 600 bandits have been liquidated there. I think this figure will grow, because not all cellars have been checked in the settlement. The federal forces revealed 43 reinforced trenches from which the bandits shot at the federal forces, and eight permanent emplacements. They took prisoner 88 bandits yesterday. Six bandits surrendered with their weapons in Martan-Chu yesterday. An analysis of radio intercepts shows that the bandit leaders are trying to restore communications and contacts between the scattered groups of bandits, and to organise, using Komsomolskoye as an example, seats of resistance in two other settlements, Grushevoye and Roshni-Chu. Both are located in the Urus-Martan district.
Documents from the archives of the so-called Ministry of the Shariah State Security of Ichkeria were found in Nozhai-Yurt. They include the materials of the so-called certification commissions, which say where the claimant committed his crime, when and how many, which was accepted as proof of the claimant's loyalty. I hope that the mass media and we will soon get direct access to these materials.
The electronic mass media report that fighting is underway outside the settlement of Sharo-Argun. This is not true; instead, the federal forces were mopping up the heights from which the bandits resisted the federal forces in the past few days. They found three dugouts, 15 broken cars and a large amount of munitions in the past 24 hours.
Information from the Interior Ministry: 13 preventive operations were held yesterday, 10 men suspected of taking part in bandit formations were detained, 2,700 people checked, and over 2,000 vehicles inspected. The figures are growing, and I think this is due directly to the preparations for the presidential elections.
I would like to draw your attention to the information carried in the latest issue of Novaya Gazeta. I seldom regard that newspaper positively; rather, I argue with it and its authors. But this time I want to focus on an article by Vyacheslav Izmailov, a man who did much to liberate hostages. The article is titled "Ichkerian Leadership Trades in People." That newspaper has a traditionally critical attitude to Moscow's policy in Chechnya, which makes this article especially valuable. It provides data proving that the leaders of so-called Ichkeria, from Aslan Maskhadov to secretaries of the security council under him, the interior ministers and the like, had a direct relation to the slave trade, that they knew about the crimes which were committed by their subordinates but did nothing, closed their eyes to these facts. Moreover, they promoted the self-proclaimed field commanders, those who bore special responsibility for, were guilty of, taking and liquidating hostages. I draw your attention to that article. I think some lords and some presidential candidates, who still think about negotiating with Mr. Maskhadov, should read it.
A short information from the Justice Ministry: There are 69 inmates in the Chernokozovo detention ward.
Information from the Emergencies Ministry: As of today, 22,500 people get hot meals in Grozny, and work is still under way to find and bury the dead. As of today, 649 bodies have been buried at the city cemeteries.
Information from the provisional administration and the office of the Russian government in Chechnya. Early presidential elections are being held at eight electoral districts in the republic, where servicemen are casting their ballots. The main and the reserve stations of the Vybory state computer system were established in Gudermes and Mozdok, respectively; they were tested and the personnel have had training sessions.
One more bit of information, from the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia: The Chechen Republic has been granted 150 million roubles for the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, fuel and lubricants. The Economics Ministry has allocated 192 million roubles for the purchase of machinery, in particular 620 tractors of different models. Questions, please?
QUESTION: The Main Military Prosecutor Office made a statement today to the effect that servicemen were not involved in the mass murder of people in Aldy.
YASTRZHEMBSKY: I reported this yesterday.
THE SAME: Yes, but could you give us more details about facts that cleanse the federal forces of that tragedy? Why was the case turned over to the Grozny prosecutor office?
YASTRZHEMBSKY: There are no facts to prove the involvement of servicemen, as I told you yesterday. The Grozny prosecutor office is monitoring the case. Criminal proceedings were launched and the bodies will be exhumed. I have nothing more to add to this information, which I reported yesterday. If it is said that the crime was committed, or allegedly committed, by men in different kinds of uniforms, we should investigate this accusation to the minutest detail.
TV CENTRE: In principle, we know that spetsnaz is hunting down the basic, leading fighters. There is a certain black list of the most infamous terrorists. Can you tell us how many people are on this list? 20, 30, or 40?
YASTRZHEMBSKY: I cannot even tell you whether there is a black list. But I believe you that there is, although I have no facts that it exists. I think there is a list of people wanted federally. But this is not a black list; it is a perfectly legal list of people guilty of many crimes in Chechnya and adjacent regions. It includes many leaders of the bandit groups, in particular Maskhadov, the Basayev brothers, Khattab, and now Udugov. It is a rather long list. If I remember correctly, there is something like a hundred names on it. As for the black list, I truly don't know anything about it. There is only an official list.
THE SAME: What if Khattab leaves Russia? Will you continue to hunt him down?
YASTRZHEMBSKY: Of course, this is a small world and the search for him will be certainly carried on. Khattab poses a threat not only to Russia, and not only to the civilian population of Russia and Chechnya; he is an international terrorist. Some states have a well-oiled system of searching for and neutralising terrorists. I think the corresponding Russian services have established contacts and are collaborating with them. Different methods could be used to detain and neutralise such people.
INTERFAX: Can we expect the question of direct presidential rule in Chechnya to be discussed, or settled, immediately after the official publication of the results of the presidential elections? Is this question directly linked with the election results?
YASTRZHEMBSKY: Everything that will happen after the elections has a direct bearing on them. And of course, since the possibility of direct presidential rule or the state of emergency is being discussed before the elections - the representative and executive authorities are pondering different formulas, I think this question should be tackled in practice after the elections. But direct presidential rule should be discussed yet, because there is no legal mechanism or legal norm stipulating the introduction of such rule, which means that it could be introduced by a presidential decree or corresponding law, unless other decisions are made in accordance with the situation. No more questions? Thank you.
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