(22 Dec 1994) Russian/Nat
The Russian defence minister has reportedly fired three of his top generals in Chechnya.
Defence Minister Pavel Grachev is said to have taken personal control of the attack in the breakaway republic, a conflict which is becoming increasingly unpopular among Russian civilians and soldiers.
But a Russian Defence Ministry spokesman denied reports of any shakeup in the top Russian brass over Chechnya.
These are the images some of Russia's top military commanders feel they can clearly no longer tolerate: Russian soldiers braving subzero temperatures on a front line 2- thousand kilometres from home.
They'd been sent to dig for victory against a rag tag army. But increasingly their loyalty towards their commander-in-chief - Defence Minister Pavel Grachev is in question
That's a view now shared by many of Grachev's right hand men - today he reportedly sacked three generals and allowed two others to resign.
Few share his view that such a military onslaught in winter in the Caucasus is a wise tactic.
Amongst these conscripts there is no outright talk of mutiny but there is also little desire to fight if that means killing civilians
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"At the same time as military men we have no right to fire at civilians. I will only shoot if someone has fired at me or one of my soldiers. If nothing of that kind occurs I will not be shooting.''
Q: You, yourself do you support Yeltsin's policy. Grachev's policy ?
A: We are military men and that's enough.''
SUPER CAPTION: Russian soldier
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
Q: "If you get an order to fire at civilians are you going to follow this order?
A: I am not going to shoot civilians
Q: But you might be court -martialed
A: Its a matter of conscience, you know, if nobody is attacking you with arms you should not shoot them either.''
SUPER CAPTION: Russian soldier
Those sentiments were also echoed outside the Parliament building in Moscow where women who's sons have been sent to the Chechen front forced State Duma deputies arriving at work to run a gauntlet of placards. Each critical of President Yeltsin's intervention in the conflict.
This woman read out a letter her son had sent from the front-line. In it he expressed his brigade's reluctance to fight.
As the protest went on, it emerged that reluctance was shared by some of the most senior military men in Russia.
According to the Duma Defence Committee the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian army Colonel General Eduard Vorobyo apparently refused Grachev's orders to go to Chechnya and take control of the Russian operation.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"Colonel General Vorobyov is a quite balanced and sober-minded person and his actions are quite balanced as well. I doubt that his decision was taken under the impact of some emotional factors. He thoroughly examined the situation, he realised the reasons and the motives for the decision which had been taken by State politicians, of such an irresponsible decision. And in answer to the proposal to become the head of the operation of the so-called liquidation of illegal armed detachments, he refused.''
SUPER CAPTION: Sergei Yusheankov, Defence Committee Chairman.
SOUNDBITE:
"The military now are split all ways. And there are military who will definitely support Yeltsin but there are military who will definitely oppose what he does. I don't think that this will be kind of some cementation of the relationship between all of the military
and the Presidential administration.''
SUPER CAPTION: Viktor Kremeniuk, Military Analyst.
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