Russians Push Toward Chechen Capital

The roar of cannon fire echoed through the nearly deserted streets of Grozny on Monday as Russian tanks pushed closer to the Chechen capital and artillery and jets slammed targets on the city’s outskirts.

Those people remaining in the city appeared to be mostly desperate rather than defiant: predominantly ethnic Russians with nowhere to go since Russia blocked the roads from Chechnya to neighboring republics last week.

Russian troops and tanks holding Terek Ridge, about six miles north of Grozny, could be seen moving southeast toward a major road that runs past the airport into the city.

Over the previous 24 hours, Russian guns and bombs had struck a score of towns, the Defense Ministry said Monday, including Argun and Tolstoy-Yurt, to the east and north of the capital, respectively.

Russian forces had advanced several miles, the Interfax news agency said, but there was no immediate confirmation of the report.

There was no indication that the Russians were planning to invade Grozny. Russia has been vague about its plans, with some leaders saying the city will be taken and others saying it will be surrounded.