CHECHNYA: RUSSIA/CHECHNYA CONFLICT LATEST

(8 Dec 1999) Russian/Nat

Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo, on a visit to Chechnya, indicated Wednesday that refugees would be given more time to leave Grozny.

He said a safe corridor was being established and would remain open as long as necessary.

The Russian official made the announcement in reaction to international concern that citizens would be trapped in the capital city during the heavy bombardment threatened by Russian commanders.

As Russia enters the third phase of its military campaign in Chechnya, Chechen citizens are growing frustrated with the inefficiency and inadequacy of their local government agencies.

Some are just scraping by on money they make from selling cigarettes and soda pop.

Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo visited Chechnya on Tuesday, arriving at a Russian military airbase 12 kilometers outside of Tolstoi-Yurt.

He announced that refugees would have access to a safe corridor out of Grozny as long as it was needed.

Russian forces on Wednesday concentrated their fire on Chechnya's ravaged capital, as officials gave conflicting signals about an ultimatum to trapped civilians to leave or face death.

Russian officials and commanders said the ultimatum to residents to leave Grozny by Saturday or face a massive bombardment was not directed at civilians.

But they did not back off from the deadline for the attack.

Russian planes dropped leaflets on Grozny earlier this week saying that a safe corridor would be opened for civilians to leave, and that anyone left in the city after Saturday would face a massive air and artillery attack.

The troubling economic situation in war-torn Chechnya is an additional concern for many of its inhabitants.

Chechen citizens were promised that economic and social reforms would finally be established in the region.

Pensions are not being paid and schools have been closed not only as a result of the military action in the area, but due to inefficient and inadequate local government.

The residents of Tolstoi-Yurt are scraping by on money that they can make by trading in cigarettes, gum and soda pop.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"They do not pay us our pensions, we do not have any money and we are forced to stand out here and sell our wares in order to survive."
SUPER CAPTION: Rita Halieva, Chechen woman

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"Of course we are waiting for the situation to improve. For the past nine or ten years, we have been like prisoners in our own country."
SUPER CAPTION: Yakha Malstayeva, Chechen woman

Russian planes and artillery continued to bombard Grozny and surrounding towns on Wednesday, making it almost impossible for people to leave the city.

The Russian military said war planes and helicopter gunships flew 150 sorties over the previous 24 hours.

But with militants and civilians hiding in basements, it was not clear how the military could distinguish between them with any precision.

Grozny has an estimated 6-thousand militants and anywhere from 15-thousand to 40-thousand civilians.

Many of the non-combatants have been too afraid to leave their homes, and some refugees who fled said that many who remained hadn't even seen the leaflets.

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