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![]() Monday, November 15, 1999 Published at 13:20 GMT ![]() ![]() World: Europe ![]() Russian troops pour into Chechnya ![]() Protesters in Greece call on Russia to stop the violence ![]() Thousands of Russian troops are pouring into Chechnya for a threatened offensive on the capital, Grozny, as international condemnation of Russia's military campaign intensifies. European Union foreign ministers in Brussels condemned Russia's "disproportionate and indiscriminate" use of force in Chechnya and urged Moscow to seek a negotiated settlement.
Mr Yeltsin will tell world leaders at the meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe that western states "have no right to blame Russia for destroying bandits and terrorists on its territory," Interfax quoted him as saying.
BBC correspondent Mike Williams witnessed thousands of Russian troops in hundreds of military vehicles crossing from Ingushetia into Chechnya on Monday.
Click here to see a map of the region
He said he saw tanks, armoured personnel carriers and scores of Grad multiple rocket systems on the move. The soldiers told him that they were heading for Grozny.
Grozny offensive
Russian commanders said at the weekend they were preparing to mount a ground assault on the Chechen capital, following weeks of devastating air raids.
Correspondents said rebel positions across Chechnya came under renewed bombardment at the weekend.
Russian army officials said their aircraft had flown some 70 missions on Sunday.
It also demands that humanitarian organisations be given access to the area to help the estimated 200,000 refugees who have fled the fighting. The EU's foreign affairs representative, Javier Solana, told German daily Tagesspiegel: "We are trying to convince (the Russian authorities) they should scale down operations and work towards a political solution because the conflict cannot be resolved militarily."
In an interview broadcast on Russian television, Mr Putin said the offensive aimed at clearing "international terrorists" out of Chechnya would not slow in the face of criticism from the West. He said some Western leaders were stuck in a Cold War anti-Russian mindset. "So we have to work insistently, consistently and patiently with these people in explaining the Russian Federation's position." Despite western media reports of pitiful conditions for refugees, Russia denies there is any humanitarian crisis.
Military advance
A senior Russian commander said the situation in Gudermes was now peaceful and that the rebels have been driven out. A night-time curfew had been imposed, and local residents warned that anyone violating it would be shot on sight.
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