December 26, 1999
Web posted at: 10:03 p.m. EST (0303 GMT)

In this story: Loyalist leader a convicted embezzler 'Rebels have set up strong positions' U.S. official urges Russian restraint RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

GROZNY, Russia -- Russian forces met strong rebel resistance as they battled their way into the Chechen capital Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

After months of bombing Grozny, Russian troops launched a major operation Saturday to capture the capital of the breakaway republic, spearheaded by a Moscow-backed Chechen militia.

VIDEO CNN's Steve Harrigan reports as Russian troops push deeper into Grozny. (December 26) Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

MESSAGE BOARD Russia's future

The Russian media said on Sunday that the paramilitaries pushed deep towards the center of the city, where tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped by heavy bombardments.

Moscow's commanders, who have vowed to minimize casualties, said they plan to take the city incrementally, avoiding an all-out attack like the one that cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers in the previous war of 1994-96.

Loyalist leader a convicted embezzler

Interfax news agency quoted pro-Moscow Chechen leader Bislan Gantamirov, who commands 800 paramilitaries, as saying his forces had reached the city center.

But the claim of Gantamirov, a convicted embezzler released from prison to lead the loyalist army, could not be confirmed. And Russian officers have privately disparaged the combat capabilities of his forces.

ITAR-Tass news agency said that Russian air power was being used on the northern outskirts of the city to cut off groups of rebels from their main forces in central Grozny.

RIA news agency quoted regional military headquarters as saying two Russian servicemen died and four were wounded on Sunday. The rebels say they have killed hundreds of Russians. Both sides have exaggerated enemy losses while playing down their own.

'Rebels have set up strong positions'

"The advance of the Russian troops is very difficult," Tass quoted the Defense Ministry as saying. "Practically at all crucial points the rebels have set up strong positions."

Between 1,500 and 5,000 Chechen guerrillas are believed to be resisting the Russian onslaught in Grozny, where up to 40,000 civilians are huddled in basements with little food or firewood.

After launching their campaign in September, Russian forces swiftly took control of the northern steppes and the fertile valley south of Grozny that forms the Chechen heartland.

But the last two areas under rebel control -- the capital and the mountains to the south -- could prove more costly.

Grozny's Soviet-era bunkers and concrete ruins are a haven for snipers and urban guerrillas, who the Russians fear are preparing chemical weapons to use on advancing soldiers.

And mountain gorges are littered with the rusted hulks of Russian tanks, monuments to the price Moscow paid to storm them in 1995.

Russia has shrugged off a wave of Western criticism of its Chechen campaign, saying the intensity of the military action was necessary because of the strength of the enemy.

Russian troop commander Gen. Viktor Kazantsev repeated Russia's promise not to storm the city. Instead, "there will be a planned, prepared operation to liberate Grozny," he said.

U.S. official urges Russian restraint

A U.S. administration official Sunday reiterated a warning that the Chechnya campaign could lead to Russia's international isolation.

The White House official urged the Russians to "exercise restraint" and negotiate with Chechen rebels. "Only that will lead to a resolution," said the official, who requested anonymity.

Prominent rebel commander Shamil Basayev brushed off the prospect of peace talks, saying, "I will not negotiate now because there is not a third party. ... With Russians it's impossible to make a deal. Only fighting works."

Moscow has also ignored calls to negotiate. The Chechen campaign remains popular in Russia where it helped Prime Minister Vladimir Putin boost his Unity party allies into a strong position in parliament after elections last week.

Moscow moved troops into Chechnya in September, a month after Chechen separatists invaded neighboring Dagestan. Russian authorities also blame numerous summer bomb attacks in Russia on Islamic militants from the region, who deny the allegation.

Correspondents Steve Harrigan, Kelly Wallace, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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