41.   The Russian advance left the western village of Bamut, where rebels have been resisting against intensive assaults for several months, as one of the only remaining objectives.

42.   The Russian advance has stampeded thousands of civilians into fleeing their homes, many from Grozny and villages taken under heavy Russian shelling.

43.   Many of the dead were civilian refugees fleeing the Russian advance.

44.   Meanwhile, Moscow denied reports of Russian advances against the Chechen separatists.

45.   Muzayeva said Chechen guerrillas took over the building during their desperate retreat before the Russian advance on Shali at the end of March.

46.   Moscow earlier denied reports of Russian advances against the Chechen separatists.

47.   Russian advances in the last few days have all but cut the republic in two, dividing the pro-Dudayev forces.

48.   Russian authorities on Wednesday denied reports of Russian advances against Chechen separatists as negotiators from both sides in the conflict were to meet here with Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin.

49.   Slow though it may be, the Russian advance seems inevitable.

50.   Ten Chechen fighters were wounded and one killed repelling the Russian advance, an official announcer said after interrupting music programming on the local radio station here.