The President of the breakaway Republic of Chechnya has appealed to President Clinton to help end what he called the "genocide of the Chechen people" under Russia's military offensive. In a letter to Mr Clinton, President Aslan Maskhadov said that the Chechens were seeking the right to live freely and safely. He said they hoped that the United States would use its authority to defend their human rights. Despite the growing calls from the international community to call off the military offensive, the Russian Prime Minister, Vladamir Putin, has said that he fully supports his Generals in what he described as the task of "liquidating a bandit Republic".
Russian artillery has again been shelling the outskirts of the Chechen capital, Grozny, and warplanes have bombed areas to the south, west and east of the city. More refugees from the capital have joined the thousands trying to reach the safety of neighbouring Ingushetia. The Russians say that almost 7,000 people have crossed the border in the past two days.
