Chechen refugess, Said to be sheltering in basements
The Russian army says that it has captured the Chechen rebel stronghold of Urus-Martan, Southwest of the capital, Grozny. Chechen rebels said they had abandoned it in the face of Russia's advance.
President Clinton has told a news conference in Washington that cutting Washington's aid to Russia would not serve United States interests. But he insisted that Moscow's military offensive in Chechnya would not work. However, Mr Clinton left the door open to withholding American support for loans through the International Monetary Fund, saying the question was not timely now, but could be a bridge that had to be crossed in the future.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has called in the Russian Ambassador to convey his grave concern over Moscow's offensive in Chechnya. David Andrews told the Ambassador that the planned intensification of the Russian bombardment of the Chechen capital, Grozny, would lead to immense suffering and civilian deaths. Mr Andrews, said that, in his role as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, he would be willing to visit Moscow with a view to helping any initiative to restore democracy and the observance of human rights in Chechnya.
A Russian general has insisted that a demand for people to leave the capital of Chechnya by Saturday, or risk death, is aimed at rebel fighters and not civilians. The commander of Russian troops in the region has been quoted as saying that the ultimatum is aimed only at, what he called, bandits. At the same time, Russia's interior minister has said that an escape corridor will be kept open beyond Saturday to let refugees flee.
It is estimated that several thousand people remain in Grozny. Many of them are said to be sheltering in basements to protect themselves from the Russian bombardment. Salih Brandt, the Chechen special envoy to Europe, said that the latest move could be Russia's way of appeasing the west.
In a separate development, the International Monetary Fund has delayed instalments of a loan to Russia, but has said that this has nothing to do with the conflict in Chechnya. An IMF official said that the delay was ordered because of Moscow's failure to complete structural reforms. The IMF says that for the multimillion dollar package to go through, Russia must increase its collection rate for heating and power bills and amend its bankruptcy laws.
