Chechnya commander rules out cease-fire

Gen Shamanov was referring to the Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov8217;s appeal for a cease-fire to let observers investigate Russia8217;s repeated accusations that militants, holed in Chechen capital Grozny, were using chemical weapons to block Russian troops8217; advance on the city. Gen Shamanov also accused Western media reports of carrying out a disinformation campaign to discredit Russian forces.

He added that recent Western reports of the capture by Chechen militants of the headquarters of the Western group in Alkhan-Yurt were aimed at 8220;budging Russian from the resolute position which the Russian leadership and armed forces now have.8221; Gen Shamanov8217;s public opposition to truce came as former Russian President Boris Yeltsindeclared during his trip to Jerusalem that Russian military campaign against Chechnya would end within two months, with 8220;a Russian flag,8221; as what he said, 8220;flying over whole of Chechnya.8221;

However, First Deputy Interior Minister Valery Fyodorov denied in Moscow that any deadline for the anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya, saying the operation was going in accordance with the 8220;plan confirmed by acting President Vladimir Putin.8221;

8220;No deadline has been or will be set for it,8221; Fyodorov said. 8220; The most important thing is to avoid the loss of life. We shall not depart from this aim.8221;

Russian television reports from Grozny suggested that Russian troops were making slow movements towards the city8217;s centre, apparently because of the stiff resistance by about 1,500 well-armed Chcchen guerrillas. But Gen Shamanov denied in an interview to NTV, saying Russia8217;s advance to the city8217;s centre was hindered by bad weather and heavy fog that has rolled from the Caucasus mountains.