Russian troops and Chechen rebels continued to clash Tuesday on the eastern edge of Grozny

December 14, 1999
Web posted at: 1:04 p.m. EST (1804 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

GROZNY, Russia (CNN) -- While Russian reconnaissance troops entered Grozny from the east on Tuesday, a few frightened Chechens slipped out of the city along a Russian-guarded safety corridor to the west of the besieged Chechen capital.

But thousands more civilians -- either unaware of the corridor or too frightened or ill to flee -- remained trapped inside the city as Russian air and artillery attacks pounded the rebel-held city.

A spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry said troops were not storming Grozny. Instead, he said, the military was using "non-standard measures for freeing Grozny."

VIDEO What is Russia's strategy in surrounding Grozny? CNN's Steve Harrigan takes a look. (December 14) QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD Russia's future

Those measures included sending in commandos and pro-Moscow Chechen fighters to take the city bit-by-bit.

Chechen rebels, however, announced on a Web site that "the storming of the Chechen capital is under way practically at full scale."

"The outskirts are under uninterrupted attack from virtually all directions," said a report on www.Kavkaz.org, run by rebel spokesman Movladi Udogov.

Russian troops, pursuing Chechen militants who had twice invaded neighboring Dagestan during the summer, entered Chechnya three months ago, beginning a slow and steady march across the rebellious republic. The Russian commanders said their only goal was to eradicate the rebels.

The Russian strategy to accomplish that goal -- air attacks, artillery fire and the use of tanks -- is designed to avoid heavy casualties that could cost the Chechnya campaign vital support among the Russian public.

Russian forces and rebel fighters faced off during a 1994-1996 war, which ended when Russian troops withdrew, leaving Chechnya effectively under its own control.

Across the city from the worst of the fighting -- but within earshot of the steady sound of exploding shells -- refugees slipped toward the safe corridors under cover of darkness.

"I would have left earlier but I really didn't believe it would be so bad," said Taisa Shamkanova, who said she had been hiding in a basement until a neighbor persuaded her to flee.

Shamkanova and her neighbor left their sanctuary at 4 a.m. Tuesday and were picked up along the corridor by Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations vehicles.

But many civilians, faced with long walks through a smoldering city under constant attack, remain.

"Where can we go? They will not let us out through these corridors, if they even exist," said Khadizhat, a woman trapped in Grozny with her children.

Russian officials backed off an ultimatum issued last week to civilians -- get out of Grozny by Saturday, December 11, or be considered terrorists and destroyed. Instead, Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu said the escape corridors would remain open indefinitely.

"Nobody has limited them by any time frame, and nobody intends to limit them," he said.

Shoigu was to meet later with Knut Vollebaek, chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, during Vollebaek's tour of Dagestan to see the plight of the refugees.

Correspondent Steve Harrigan, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.