INTRO: RUSSIA'S INVASION OF THE BREAKAWAY CHECHEN REPUBLIC IS COMING UNDER INCREASING CRITICISM, THIS TIME, FROM RUSSIA'S OWN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER. V-O-A'S ELIZABETH ARROTT IN MOSCOW HAS DETAILS.

TEXT: THE HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL URGED RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN TO STOP WHAT HE CALLED THE CRAZY MASSACRE IN CHECHNYA AND PUT AN END TO, IN HIS WORDS, BLOOD-STAINED LIES.

SERGEI KOVALYOV, A YELTSIN APPOINTEE, ALSO SUGGESTED THE PRESIDENT IS A PUPPET OF OTHERS IN THE GOVERNMENT. IN HIS TELEGRAM SENT FROM THE CHECHEN CAPITAL GROZNY, THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER TOLD MR. YELTSIN, THOSE WHO STARTED THIS WAR WILL VERY SOON NOT NEED YOU.

MR. YELTSIN HAS REMAINED SILENT ON CHECHNYA SINCE BEFORE THE INVASION TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT IS EXPECTED TO MEET WITH THIS SECURITY COUNCIL MONDAY. AIDES SAY HE MAY ADDRESS THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE SOON AFTERWARD AND FINALLY MAKE A STATEMENT ON MOSCOW'S LARGEST MILITARY VENTURE IN 15 YEARS.

DESPITE THE SIZE OF THE OPERATION, JOURNALISTS IN CHECHNYA SAY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY CONTINUES TO MEET FIERCE RESISTANCE AS IT TRIES TO SEAL THE CAPITAL. HEAVY FIGHTING IS REPORTED IN THE VILLAGE OF ARGUN, EAST OF GROZNY. ONE WESTERN REPORTER SAID THE SETTLEMENT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

HUNDREDS OF ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS GATHERED IN GORKY PARK TO PROTEST BOTH THE INVASION AND THE INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING OF CIVILIAN AREAS. INTRO: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN SAYS HE IS READY TO LAUNCH THE SECOND STAGE OF MOSCOW'S BID TO RECLAIM THE BREAKAWAY CHECHEN REPUBLIC. VOA'S ELIZABETH ARROTT IN MOSCOW REPORTS MR. YELTSIN APPEARS INTENT ON PUSHING AHEAD TO REASSERT CONTROL.

TEXT: THE RUSSIAN LEADER SAYS THE MILITARY OPERATION IN CHECHNYA IS REACHING AN END, AND MOSCOW WILL SOON MOVE ON TO BUILDING WHAT HE CALLS ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES IN THE REGION.

SPEAKING BEFORE REPORTERS DURING A MEETING OF HIS SECURITY COUNCIL, MR. YELTSIN MADE CLEAR HIS INTENTION TO REIGN IN THE BREAKAWAY REGION. IT IS OUR REPUBLIC, HE SAID, AND TROOPS WILL BE THERE PERMANENTLY.

BUT THE PRESIDENT ADDED RUSSIAN FORCES WILL PULL BACK FROM THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CHECHEN CAPITAL. RUSSIAN GROUND FORCES HAVE MET FIERCE RESISTANCE FROM CHECHEN FIGHTERS AROUND GROZNY. DESPITE THE KREMLIN'S REPEATED CLAIMS RUSSIAN FORCES WERE ABOUT TO SEAL OFF THE CAPITAL, TWO WEEKS AFTER THE INVASION OF THE TINY REPUBLIC, THEY HAVE YET TO COME EVEN CLOSE TO THAT GOAL.

THE RUSSIAN EFFORT HAS BEEN SEVERELY HAMPERED BY RIFTS WITHIN THE MILITARY, WITH SOME GENERALS AND OFFICERS IN CHECHNYA REFUSING TO FIGHT UNARMED CIVILIANS. THEIR MUTINY, AS WELL AS INCREASING SIGNS OF DISARRAY HERE IN MOSCOW, HAVE LED TO FEARS OF A MILITARY SHAKE-UP.

ACCORDING TO A TOP LAWMAKER, THREE DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTERS HAVE BEEN FIRED. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT'S DEFENSE COMMITTEE SAYS AMONG THE GENERALS TO BE LET GO IS THE INFLUENTIAL BORIS GROMOV. MR. YELTSIN'S PRESS OFFICE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE NEWS, SAYING IT CANNOT DISCUSS SUCH PRESIDENTIAL DECISIONS UNTIL THE DECREE INVOLVED IS SIGNED.

THE INABILITY OF MOSCOW TO QUICKLY RETAKE CHECHNYA PROMPTED A SERIES OF RELENTLESS AIR RAIDS ON THE CHECHEN CAPITAL. THAT, TOO, FAILED TO BRING SURRENDER FROM CHECHEN LEADERS. AT THE SAME TIME, IMAGES OF INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING OF CIVILIAN AREAS, AS WELL AS CASUALTIES AMONG WOMEN AND CHILDREN HAVE LED TO GROWING OPPOSITION TO THE WAR BY POLITICIANS AND THE RUSSIAN PUBLIC.

PRESIDENT YELTSIN SAYS HE WILL ADDRESS THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION TUESDAY AND GIVE A WIDE-RANGING ACCOUNT OF THE SITUATION. MR. YELTSIN HAS BEEN OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW THROUGHOUT VIRTUALLY THE WHOLE CRISIS. AIDES SAY HE HAS BEEN RECOVERING FROM MINOR NOSE SURGERY.

REPORTS FROM GROZNY SAY THE CHECHEN CAPITAL WAS RELATIVELY QUIET OVERNIGHT, WITH NO NEW AIR RAIDS ALTHOUGH SHELLING WAS HEARD EARLY MONDAY ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY.

JOURNALISTS SAY MUCH OF THE CITY IS WITHOUT WATER, GAS AND ELECTRICITY AND THAT OVERCROWDED HOSPITALS ARE RUNNING OUT OF MEDICINE AND SUPPLIES WITH WHICH TO TREAT THE WOUNDED.