21.   There was speculation Russian bombers had been told not to attack it.

22.   Thick clouds of smoke rose from the industrial district as Russian bombers pounded it for a third straight day.

23.   A Chechen government spokesman said Russian bombers had also hit the strategic town of Argun, east of Grozny.

24.   Chechen rebels said they had executed a Russian bomber pilot on Tuesday, the Interfax news agency said.

25.   Chechen separatist rebels, not Russian bomber jets, were behind recent bloody explosions in civilian villages in Chechnya, air force commander in chief Pyotr Deinekin said Wednesday.

26.   The military protocol could also signal the joint production of Russian war jets in India as well as the sale of long-range Russian bombers to the Indian air force.

27.   There was no sign of tension as the top guerrillas gathered in one place, a tempting target for a Russian bomber pilot.

28.   Meanwhile Russian bombers stepped up their shelling of the area around the palace to prevent Chechen reinforcements from reaching the building, already encircled by Russian sharpshooters.

29.   Russian artillery gunners pounded the Chechen capital Grozny Monday while Russian bombers flew repeated sorties, correspondents reported.

30.   Russian bombers and artillery on Sunday attacked the village of Stary Atshkhoi in the southwest of the breakaway republic of Chechnya, a spokesman for the Russian command said.