(21 Dec 1994) Russian/nat
Chechen rebels are reported to have run out of ammunition for their anti-aircraft guns, leaving Russian jets free to bomb the capital of the breakaway southern republic at will.
But Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev has stressed that both the air force and army will not exploit the situation. He attributed the slow progress of its troops towards the centre of the Chechnyan capital Grozny on a deliberate policy of trying to minimise civilian casualties.
This is the true picture of Russian intervention in Chechnya, bomb craters littering a village near the city of Grozny this morning after an overnight attack by troops sent there by Boris Yeltsin.
Two Chechen soldiers examine the bomb crater imprinted in the snow - grim evidence of last night's raids on the war-torn region of Chechnya. The contents of their first aid bags an indictment of the limited resources available to those on the ground in the breakaway republic which steadfastly refuses to give up the fight for its rights.
Although no figures have been confirmed the Russian government said casualties on both sides had increased - up to 120 lives are reported to have been lost in this latest attack; 40 of those were local residents.
The Russian news agency, Itar-Tass said foreign mercenaries from the Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan are also fighting near Grozny. Meanwhile rebel anti-aircraft guns are running out of ammunition.
The exodus of over one hundred thousand refugees from the region began yesterday (20 December 1994).
In Moscow the Foreign Ministry officially described such scenes as unfortunate - but stopped short of apologising for causing civilian deaths. Instead blaming such casualties on what they called criminals - a reference to the resistance fighters loyal to
President Dudayev who are refusing to lay down their arms.
SOUNDBITE:
"We are satisfied with international reaction to the situation which boils down to recognition that is internal political issue of Russian Federation and its important to see that the military action and use of force, and this is widely recognised by international
community, is being prompted by criminal activity of the armed gangs which are totally intolerable in any country and proportionate to the nature of the challenge by those gangs. And again I draw your attention to that they are using not only small arms but heavy weapons."
SUPER CAPTION: Andrei Kozyrev, Russian Foreign Minister
SOUNDBITE:
"Unfortunately there are casualties to the civilian population but again the forces, the Government forces are doing the best they can to avoid and to limit the casualties as much as it is conceivable and possible under the circumstances. And that's why
they are moving rather slowly. They are moving slowly because they try to be as cautious as possible."
SUPER CAPTION: Andrei Kozyrev, Russian Foreign Minister
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