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March 8, 2000 12:31 am
Russia scrambles to play down Chechnya losses ahead of elections
MOSCOW, March 7 (AFP) -
Russia scrambled Tuesday to play down its losses in Chechnya after a report said that 86 paratroopers were killed in a recent battle, far more than previously acknowledged.
The 73 Russian soldiers and 13 officers died in battle a week ago when they stumbled across a huge Chechen contingent deep in the republic's southern mountains, the AVN news agency reported, citing sources at Russian military headquarters.
The report comes as a blow to the Kremlin (and shows the real strengh of the Vodka Army), which has tried to play down losses in Chechnya, mindful that military reversals could undermine the popularity of acting President Vladimir Putin ahead of upcoming elections that he is strongly favoured to win.
Military chiefs swiftly denied the report, saying that 31 died in the clash.
"But there were no more casualties" of a similar order, paratroop commander General Georgy Shpak was quoted by ITAR-TASS as saying.
Yet the AVN report was specific on the details of the February 29 battle, saying that the Russian unit was all but wiped out in four hours of close combat with a much larger Chechen unit near the mountain settlement of Ulus-Kert. AVN said just six paratroopers survived the onslaught.
Topic starter
March 8, 2000 12:34 am
Svoloch,
Ne vy.bujsya, gamadril. Sebya luchshe pozdrav', i shlyuhu slyu, esli ona tebya i tvoj ogurets esche terpit.
March 8, 2000 12:40 am
Balalaika.
ZABEI EBALO GNIDA 🙂 YA BLEA TVOEVO MNENIA NE SPRASHIVAL VOT BLEA SPROSHY TOGDA U OTVETISH...A POKA TI BLEA SHlUxA...TAK SHTO BLEA S PROFISIANALNOM PRAZNIKOM TEBA BLEA.. :)))
DYROCHKA TI NADROCHENAE 🙂 BLEA BISTRO BLEA NA TVERSKYU YEBISHE...
March 8, 2000 12:43 am
Babalaika
TI BLEA VNATYRE KAK PETYX :))) BLEA POBOLSHE CVETOV BLEA PREBAV' SEBE...LOX BLEA 🙂
March 8, 2000 1:54 am
Moscow had no intention of joining NATO any time soon, said Putin, who also took a side-swipe at NATO expansion eastwards saying it was unnecessary now the Cold War was over.
Nevertheless, political cooperation between the erstwhile rivals was deepening, Putin said. "If we talk of this component, there are certain joint interests, and we are ready to cooperate," Interfax quoted him as saying.
"If we talk about the military aspects, then there are a lot of problems," he added, according to ITAR-TASS.
"If the military structures were to make a decision, similar to those taken by NATO over Yugoslavia, then we would not take part and we would be unlikely to join such an organization."
He went on: "Nobody is planning to take Russia into NATO. We are not counting on this and never have done.
"However, as no one is expecting us there, we do not see why NATO's border should be up against ours," Interfax quoted him as saying.
Putin made his comments in the town of Ivanovo, 300 kilometers (190 miles) northeast of Moscow.
The interim Russian leader said in a BBC interview Sunday that he would not rule out Russian membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, founded in 1949 to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union.
"I don't see why not -- I wouldn't rule it out if and when the views of Russia are treated as those of an equal partner," Putin said when quizzed about Moscow's possible membership of the military alliance
March 8, 2000 3:20 am
MOSCOW (AP) - Acting President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he does not expect NATO would admit Russia, days after saying that joining the Western alliance could not be ruled out.
``It was hard to imagine that they would invite Russia with its territory and all its problems into NATO,'' Putin said during an appearance in the city of Ivanovo.
That's right - who is interested in this messy russia, apart from its oil, gas, and diamonds. It is funny that russians themseves admit their failure to fit even to the New Europe.
Russia is finally realising that it is more a part of barbaric Asian tradition, where it has been belonging since the mongol invasion.
March 8, 2000 4:15 am
creeps and liars and frauds on board tonight.
few are them what aint.
March 8, 2000 4:52 am
For Balalaika it's better to continue poking through the press piles and copy them whole - because his comments to them is where the kindergarten starts.
March 8, 2000 5:03 am
To Balalaika
Well done for your terrific posts,
Ignore the two residents clowns, crafty Kissie and L'menexe, its the story of the grapes as far as they are concerned.
March 8, 2000 6:54 am
I wish British immigration rules would be stricter with entry visas for scroungers like HairyMary.
Its a shame that the beautiful county of Surrey has to be 'polluted' by her presence.
March 8, 2000 8:13 am
Bacon, I've got you
Kim
March 8, 2000 8:18 am
What kind of English is that.?
The kind of English you might see, if you read books, rather than comics......
Do you have an opinion on Chechnia?
March 8, 2000 8:23 am
Bacon, what makes you so jelous of people who get on well with each other???
No lovelife,hey! ...or social life, or any kind of life at all.........
Kim
March 8, 2000 8:24 am
kim:
nail that sucka to the wall, if'n you've a mind
to*
*warning! dialect alert!
musta been all thet thar book larnin' ah done..
March 8, 2000 8:26 am
Hi! Kim.
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