(18 Mar 2000) Voice and effects
VOICED BY: SOPHIE GILL
Russia's acting President Vladimir Putin says his forces plan to seal off Chechnya's southern mountains in order to defeat the remaining rebels.
Putin argues with the rebels cut off, forces will be able to restore peaceful life to the Russian controlled north.
His comments came as the Russian military claimed to have taken control of the southern Chechen village of Komsomolskoye, after weeks of intense fighting.
VOICE-OVER:
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UPSOUND: Rocket firing
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Russia claims its fight is all but won here, but rockets still fire and explosions still destroy the peace of the town of Komsomolskoye. (pronounced: Kom SAM ol skwaye)
Russian forces they've broken the back of the Chechen rebel movement, and only a small number of Islamic fanatics are left fighting.
But while the military claims victory intense fighting continued on Saturday.
For the past two weeks this town in mountainous southern Chechnya has been torn apart.
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And, this is how the war is being fought; small units of Chechen fighters who've been driven into the mountains make small, localised attacks on Russian military.
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Russian forces plan to seal off Chechnya's southern mountains and fight rebels there, while trying to restore peaceful life in the Russian-controlled north.
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UPSOUND - Commander talking into walkie talkie
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Moscow wants to demonstrate it's in control of the situation in Chechnya's northern flatlands and it's eager to prove it can block rebels from coming down into the plains to stage attacks.
As the fighting continues, small Chechen towns like Komsomolskoye are being transformed into desolate battle zones.
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