Russian forces have been slowly and methodically probing Chechen positions in Grozny backed by heavy artillery fire and aerial bombardment in an operation to take the city, which began on Christmas Day.
Senior officers were optimistic that the Chechen capital would be under their control within days but Chechen sources claimed they had inflicted heavy losses on the Russian units and were forcing them to retreat.
The chief Russian commander on the ground, Gen. Viktor Kazantsev, was cautious in his comments yesterday saying that "nothing terrible was happening" in Grozny, while the independent NTV channel reported that Russian soldiers and pro-Moscow Chechens under the former mayor of Grozny, Mr Beslan Gantemirov, were making progress "very slowly".
The Chechen news agency Kavkaz-Tsentr, a source not noted for its objectivity, reported heavy fighting in the Khankala region of the city and for possession of high ground at Syuir-kort.
The agency claimed that "mujahideen" had killed up to 200 hundred "Russian aggressors" near Khankala and "300 mercenaries" in the suburb of Oktyabrski and destroyed 20 armoured vehicles.
While these claims are almost certainly exaggerated NTV has begun to break ranks from the pre-election media consensus. It has begun showing pictures of dead and wounded Russian soldiers, including a graphically illustrated story of a 12-man unit from the Volga city of Ulyanovsk from which only two survived a Chechen attack.
Russian forces using more sophisticated tactics than they did in the disastrous war of 19941996, in which tens of thousands were killed, have been remarkably successful in taking control of territory on Chechnya's northern plain without very serious losses.
Grozny and the southern highlands remain and here the task is expected to be much more difficult. The Chechen capital, now mainly in ruins, had become an ideal local for urban guerrilla warfare with its derelict buildings, irregular street layout particularly in the centre and large numbers of Soviet-era bunkers.
Yesterday Mr Gantemirov claimed his forces had reached Minutka Square close to the city centre, which was the scene of a fierce encounter last week when two agency reporters remaining in the city counted more than 100 dead Russian soldiers and 15 destroyed armoured vehicles.
Specially released from prison by the Russian authorities to lead pro-Moscow Chechen volunteers against the rebels Mr Gantemirov, a convicted embezzler, has a lot to gain and everything to lose in the battle for Grozny. His claims for the success of his militia run counter to reports from individual Russian officers who privately expressed the view that they have been more of a hindrance than a help.
Russian forces captured Grozny after heavy losses and weeks of fighting in 1995 but Chechen rebels in a surprise attack returned to capture the city in what proved to be the turning point of the war.
On this occasion, instead of relying on a frontal assault, the generals appear to have learned a lesson. Grozny has been surrounded for almost a month and moves have been meticulously planned and carried out with great caution.
Major losses on the Russian side might not only prevent them from taking the city but could devastate the chances of the Prime Minister, Mr Vladimir Putin, in his bid to win the presidential election in June.
Reuters adds: The White House yesterday condemned Russia's military campaign in Chechnya, warning that the offensive would isolate Moscow and could result in "massive loss of life without a resolution".
Seamus Martin can be contacted by e-mail at: seamus.martin@russia.com
