November 28, 1999
Web posted at: 10:20 p.m. EST (0320 GMT)

In this story: Civilians offered chance to leave Grozny Chechens 'not meeting us with flowers' OSCE chief, Russian official to talk RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

GROZNY, Russia (CNN) -- Russian tanks and infantry backed by warplanes are fighting to cut off the last major supply route between the Chechen capital and the remainder of the breakaway Russian republic.

Russian Mi-24 helicopters and fighter jets fired at rebel positions while tanks rolled across the surrounding plain Sunday. The federal troops clashed for hours with about 500 militants.

VIDEO Correspondent Steve Harrigan reports on the continued bombardment of Grozny, Chechnya, by Russia forces Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD Russia's future

Zelimkhan Shimayev, a Chechen fighter who took part in Sunday's fighting, said the rebels suffered serious hits. But he said the Russians were badly organized and were having trouble seizing the section of road closest to Urus-Martan, a rebel stronghold 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Grozny.

Russian warplanes and artillery also battered Urus-Martan itself, setting off several fires and largely destroying the center of the city.

Civilians offered chance to leave Grozny

The commander of Russian troops in Chechnya repeated Moscow's pledge to avoid a direct assault on Grozny.

Russian troops have encircled most of the Chechen capital after nine weeks of fighting

"Without question, there will be no storming of Grozny," Gen. Vladimir Shamanov said. "That's why this conflict is so difficult for Russia, because it is happening inside our country. So we cannot permit ourselves to use the methods America used in Iraq and Yugoslavia."

The Russian military command has pulled troops back when they encountered heavy resistance. Moscow hopes to avoid the kind of heavy losses suffered in ground battles during the 1994-96 Chechen war.

Federal troops offered civilians safe passage out of Chechnya's capital. Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Koshman told NTV commercial television in Moscow that only a few noncombatants remain in Grozny, "and for these people, a corridor has been left in agreement with federal forces."

Koshman, the Russian government representative in Chechnya, said leaflets had been scattered around Grozny informing civilians of what route to take out of the city.

Federal troops moved into Chechnya in September, after Islamic guerrillas made several incursions into Dagestan, a neighboring Russian republic. Moscow also blames the militants for a string of deadly bombings in Russian towns.

Chechens 'not meeting us with flowers'

Although the Russians have put off the forced occupation of Grozny, residents of the surrounding valley have had to accept Russian authority.

"The Chechen people are not meeting us with flowers. There is no need to pretend," Shamanov said. "But they are sick of living in a bandit world, sick of their children not going to school, and they are ready to work together with the Russian Army."

OSCE chief, Russian official to talk

European officials have put increasing pressure on Russia to halt the offensive, focusing complaints on widespread civilian casualties and on the plight of the more than 220,000 refugees who have fled the fighting.

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine renewed his call for a political settlement, saying he cannot believe that Russia's "massive, indiscriminate, purely military escalation ... will lead to a stable and durable situation."

Also, Knut Vollebaek, chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, was to have talks with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in Moscow on Monday, ahead of a possible OSCE visit to Chechnya by mid-December.

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

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