Chechnya - Chechen Disarmament / Russian Prisoners

(19 Aug 1995) T/I: 10:53:45


Russian and Chechen negotiators met on Saturday (19/8) near the
village of Kuchaloi to discuss further details of the disarmament
of Chechen rebels and the organisation of self-defence brigades.
Kuchaloi is the first village in Chechnya to have all Russian
checkpoints closed and evacuated. The deputy head of the Russian
delegation, Evgeny Skovelov, said the rebels were estimated to
still have about 65,000 weapons. Elsewhere on Saturday, more than 250 Chechen demonstrators in 12 buses were stopped at a Russian checkpoint outside Grozny and were prevented from entering the capital. On Friday (18/8) Russian soldiers held by the rebels in preparation for an upcoming prisoner exchange said they do not want to go home to Russia. Chechen general Aindi Beksultanov, who holds the eight Russians who were interviewed in the village of Chi-rurt, said he had been searching for prisoners in the mountain areas around Grozny and trying to convince them to participate in the exchange.


SHOWS:

KUCHALOI/GROZNY/CHIRYURT, CHECHNYA 18-19/8

KHURCHALOI, CHECHNYA, 19/8
helicopter
maskhadov explaining to chechen rebels about the disarmament
process
cu apcs
ws view of checkpoint into village
skovelev sot (russian) "when the training regiment, as we call it,
left, they left 65,000 heavy firearms. they should return
65,000 if it all works out alright."
cu tank
chechen negotiator maskhadov arriving greeting and hugging
skovelev
cu soldier with machine gun
maskhadov sot (russian) "those are leaders of bandit gangs. these
gangs should be disarmed first of all."

(OUTSIDE) GROZNY, CHECHNYA. 19/8
cu bus of demonstrators with portrait of chechen leader, dzokhar
dudayev
demonstrators with chechen flags
line of tanks and soldiers at checkpoint
cu young russian soldier in line pan to second young soldier
soldier sitting on tank pan to chechen women chanting and clapping
ws of crowd of demonstrators
ws of line of soldiers across from line of demonstrators.

CHIRYURT, CHECHNYA 18/8
russian soldiers being led out by chechen guards
russian soldiers sitting on grass
chechen general aindi beksultanov sot (russian) "in two days we
gathered 5 people in zardaki, in sesny. most of them didn't want
to come. we brought them here, explained what is going on. you
can talk to journalists, if your parents come, you can talk to
your parents. it's your business, if you want to go or not. you
can stay. with these intentions were brought them here."
russian soldier sot "i fight for the chechens and there is no way
back for me now".
russian soldier alexei kartishev sot (asked did you contact your
parents?) "no i didn't." (asked why do you want to stay? "it's
better here. it's a lot better than the russian army".

3:50

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