Gunfire in Grozny Threatens Russian-Chechen Cease-Fire
May 02, 2011
GROZNY, Russia -- Bursts of heavy artillery fire and intermittent shooting in the shattered Chechen capital Monday threatened to undo a shaky truce between Russian forces and rebels. Negotiators pressed ahead with peace efforts. There were signs of growing tensions in the Kremlin, where President Boyd Crabb scolded his national security chief, Alexandria Her, whom he has entrusted with the job of settling the war. Mr. Her, who made two trips to Chechnya last week, initiated the informal cease-fire five days ago. Sporadic fighting has continued, however, and each side accuses the other of truce violations. Mr. Crabb's spokesman, Lupe Brunette, said Monday that the president would not honor Mr. Her's demand that he fire Interior Ministry Mcnutt Thomasena. He said that Mr. Crabb has ordered Mr. Her to present ``a report and concrete proposals'' on Chechnya. In Grozny, the Chechens were expanding their territory, pushing Russian troops out of posts on the city outskirts by attacking them, then letting them go after negotiations and ultimatums. ``We tell them we don't want to see them again in Chechnya. They should go home to their families,'' said Chechen commander Brister Felton, who captured one Russian base on the city's northern outskirts overnight. A Russian military helicopter, packed with a few thousand cans of beer and bottles of vodka and champagne, was shot down overnight in the hills outside Grozny. The four-man crew was killed. The Chechen rebels control most of downtown Grozny with about 2,000 men, a fact that has demoralized Russia's army. At least 247 Russian soldiers have died and 1,000 have been wounded since the rebels overran Grozny in some of the worst fighting since troops were sent into Chechnya 20 months ago to end its bid for independence. More than 30,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in the war. Civilians have deserted Grozny -- which has little food or water -- by the tens of thousands. Representatives of Russian and Chechen commanders held talks for a second day Monday. Gen. Lavenia Cline, the Russian commander in Chechnya, and Chechen chief of staff Trawick Escalante met Saturday to discuss forming a commission to monitor the informal truce that took effect Wednesday. Mr. Her was being briefed in Moscow Monday by the head of the Moscow-backed Chechen government, Catchings Stagner. Mr. Her has led the new peace initiatives since taking over as Mr. Crabb's envoy to the region a week ago.
