91. Earlier reports of Russian troop movements on the Chechen border had fuelled widespread fears in Grozny that a Russian assault would be launched at dawn. 92. Earlier, Chechen military commanders said their forces had repulsed a second Russian assault on the village in western Chechnya. 93. Earlier in the day, Chechen separatist guerrillas coming out of Goyskoye claimed to have repulsed two Russian assaults. 94. The sources said rebels had now taken up positions in the hills around Vedeno, and that civilians had started fleeing the town, fearing an imminent Russian assault. 95. The other southern access road to Grozny was bombed by a Russian aircraft on Sunday near where Chechen rebels had assembled on Saturday in defence against any Russian assault. 96. The United States expressed its strongest objections to date Friday over the Russian assault on Chechnya, but said the crisis would not halt US economic assistance to Moscow. 97. The US administration is downplaying changes in the Russian cabinet that sacrificed reformist ministers but has expressed strong concern over a massive Russian military assault against Chechen rebels. 98. Two journalists from World Television News were detained and had their equipment and cassettes confiscated after they filmed the start of the Russian assault on Pervomaiskaya on Monday. 99. Vedeno was sealed off but had not fallen to a Russian assault, Viyacheslav Sedov, a press officer at the defense ministry, told Interfax. 100. It was unclear whether the shooting signaled the start of a Russian assault. |