Russia's Defense Ministry denies reports that Russian ground troops took positions inside Chechnya

October 1, 1999
Web posted at: 9:33 a.m. EDT (1333 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russia's Defense Ministry on Friday denied reports that its troops have massed inside Chechnya, while a ninth consecutive night of Russian bombs fell on the breakaway region.

The Chechen government said that 7,000 Russian combat troops, supported by hundreds of armored vehicles, had moved inside northern Chechnya.

Although Moscow denies a military invasion of Chechnya, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin insisted Thursday that Russia still controlled Chechnya and could station troops there at any time.

Putin was backed by Marat Baglai, the chairman of Russia's Constitutional Court.

"Sending troops to Chechnya is lawful," Baglai said. "If a mutiny emerges in any Russian region, the use of force there is proper."

Thousands of ground troops have been massed along the border, although Putin and other Russian officials have denied planning a full-scale invasion.

Moscow said its bombing campaign is meant to destroy an Islamic separatist movement that has twice invaded the Russian territory Dagestan from bases in Chechnya since August.

Although Russia says it is targeting rebel military bases and facilities, Chechen officials repeatedly say that the bombs are killing innocent civilians instead.

Chechnya's status is unclear after a disastrous 1994-1996 war that ended with an humiliating Russian failure to bring the independence-minded region back into the Russian fold.

The republic has been outside Moscow's control since the 1996 peace treaty was signed and Russian troops withdrew.

Russia showed no signs Friday of easing its aerial bombardment, flying 20 sorties in the past 24 hours, according to military officials.

Chechen civilians are fleeing the region, and some 88,000 are reported to have gone to neighboring Ingushetia. At least one group of refugees was reported to be stranded on the Chechen side of the border, where Russian troops, fearing infiltrations by the rebels, have sealed the border.

Chechen officials traveled to the former Soviet republic of Georgia Friday to ask Georgia President Eduard Shevardnadze to intervene and mediate talks. Shevardnadze's press office said such a request, when it arrives, would be favorably received.

Russia, however, insists that Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov renounce terrorism and extend condolences to the families of some 300 people killed in apartment bombings in Russia.

Russian officials believe those bombs, which have struck in several Russian cities, were the responsibility of Chechnya-based Islamic guerrillas.

Maskhadov, however, repeatedly denies that terrorists operated from within Chechnya's borders.

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