Igor Ivanov due to meet Knut Vollebak today
Over 20 people were killed in the Chechen capital Grozny this morning, when Russia mounted an intense bombing campaign on the city. Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin claimed that the town of Gudermes, a key Chechen base, had been captured by Russia. A senior Russian general said that his forces had begun the operation earlier today. The loss of the town is likely to be a serious setback to the rebels.
As bombardment of Grozny continues, Western leaders are increasing their pressure on Moscow to hold peace talks with Chechnya. The Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebak said that he wanted to persuade Moscow to allow the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which he chairs, to base a mission in the region.
Mr Vollebak was speaking in Helsinki, ahead of a meeting with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov. The OSCE has repeatedly warned of worsening conditions for hundreds of thousands of Chechen refugees as winter sets in. The head of an OSCE team which visited the region earlier this week, Kim Traavik, urged the Russians to allow refugees to flow freely out of Chechnya.
