DATE=12/28/94

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-171478

TITLE= RUSSIA/CHECHNYA (L UPDATE)

BYLINE= ELIZABETH ARROTT

DATELINE= MOSCOW CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: HEAVY FIGHTING IS REPORTED IN THE BREAKAWAY CHECHEN

REPUBLIC, WITH RUSSIA SAYING IT HAS INTENSIFIED ITS EFFORTS TO

ENCIRCLE THE CAPITAL. VOA'S ELIZABETH ARROTT REPORTS FROM

MOSCOW, THE GROUND BATTLES COME AMID A RENEWAL OF AIR ATTACKS

OVER CHECHNYA, DESPITE A PLEDGE FROM RUSSIA'S PRESIDENT TO HALT

RAIDS ON CIVILIAN AREAS.

TEXT: MOSCOW IS GIVING CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT ITS PROGRESS

IN THE BREAKAWAY REPUBLIC, WITH DEFENSE MINISTRY OFFICIALS

SAYING THEY HAVE INTENSIFIED MILITARY EFFORTS, AND A SECURITY

COUNCIL MEMBER ARGUING THE MILITARY OPERATION IS LARGELY

COMPLETE.

YEGOR LOBOV, SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY, TOLD REPORTERS OF

RUSSIA'S MILITARY SUCCESS AND OUTLINED PLANS TO INSTALL A

PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT IN CHECHNYA.

BUT EVEN AS HE SPOKE, REPORTS FROM CHECHNYA INDICATED RUSSIAN

FORCES CONTINUED TO MEET FIERCE RESISTANCE FROM FORCES LOYAL TO

CHECHEN PRESIDENT DZHOKHAR DUDAYEV.

HEAVY FIGHTING IS SAID TO BE CONTINUING AT THE VILLAGE OF ARGUN,

EAST OF THE CAPITAL, WHERE THE RUSSIAN ARMY HAS BEEN BOGGED DOWN

SINCE LAST WEEK.

JOURNALISTS IN CHECHNYA SAY RUSSIA ALSO RENEWED AIR ATTACKS ON

THE REGION EARLY WEDNESDAY. THE ITAR-TASS NEWS AGENCY SAYS

RUSSIAN WARPLANES BOMBED THE OUTSKIRTS OF GROZNY AND THE TOWN

URUS-MARTAN, SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPITAL.

ANOTHER NEWS AGENCY SAYS PLANES BOMBED GROZNY ITSELF, BADLY

DAMAGING AN ORPHANAGE. THE DISPATCH SAYS THE CHILDREN, WHO WERE

HIDING IN THE BASEMENT, WERE UNHARMED.

THE INCREASED ATTACKS COME LESS THAN A DAY AFTER RUSSIAN

PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN DELIVERED A DETERMINED SPEECH TO THE

NATION, DECLARING RUSSIAN TROOPS WOULD SOON BRING THE REBEL

REGION BACK UNDER MOSCOW'S CONTROL.

CHECHNYA, HE SAID, IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

AND THE UNITY OF RUSSIA MUST BE PRESERVED. THE SMALL, MAINLY

MUSLIM REPUBLIC UNILATERALLY DECLARED ITS INDEPENDENCE THREE

YEARS AGO. MOSCOW LAUNCHED ITS INVASION EARLIER THIS MONTH AFTER

ITS COVERT WAR AGAINST THE CHECHEN LEADERSHIP WAS EXPOSED.

IN THE TELEVISED ADDRESS, MR. YELTSIN PROMISED TO HALT ANY

BOMBING OF GROZNY THAT MIGHT LEAD TO CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. A

DEFENSE MINISTRY SPOKESMAN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING RUSSIAN FORCES

WOULD BEGIN TO USE LASER-GUIDED BOMBS TO INCREASE ACCURACY.

WHILE NOT COMMENTING DIRECTLY ON THE IMAGES OF THE BOMBED

ORPHANAGE, MOSCOW DENIES BOMBING GROZNY ITSELF. MORE THAN TWO

WEEKS OF INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING OF THE CHECHEN CAPITAL HAVE LEFT

THE PRESIDENTIAL BUILDING STANDING, BUT DESTROYED RESIDENTIAL

NEIGHBORHOODS AND CAUSED MANY CIVILIAN DEATHS.

THE RELENTLESS ATTACKS HAVE PROMPTED BOTH DOMESTIC RUSSIAN AND

INTERNATIONAL CONCERN.

SEVERAL MOSCOW NEWSPAPERS DENOUNCED MR. YELTSIN AND HIS ADDRESS

WEDNESDAY. THE FORMER COMMUNIST NEWSPAPER PRAVDA CALLED THE

PRESIDENT'S CLAIM THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN IS NEAR COMPLETION

UNREALISTIC. THE DAILY IZVESTIA WRITES -- SOCIETY IS SPLIT, THE

ARMY IS DEMORALIZED, FAMILIES RECEIVE DEATH NOTICES ON NEW YEARS

EVE. AUTHORITIES CALL THIS SUCCESS. WHAT THEN, THE NEWSPAPER

ASKS, IS FAILURE? (SIGNED)

NEB/EA/MH/EJS

28-Dec-94 2:05 PM EST (1905 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America