Chechen officials said yesterday that Russian forces had shelled the suburbs of Grozny but had not entered the suburbs of the republic's capital, despite claims by the Russian army.
The presidential spokesman, Mr Said Selem Abdulmuslimov, insisted Russian federal troops were still 25 km (15 miles) from Grozny.
The Russian chief of staff said earlier that its forces had entered the suburbs of Grozny without meeting any resistance.
In London, a senior Russian military officer said yesterday there were no plans for the armed forces to take Grozny by storm after bombing suspected rebel bases there.
A spokesman for the Chechen armed forces said federal troops had launched missiles and bombs on Chernorechy in the western suburbs of Grozny and on Achkoy-Martan, 35 km (22 miles) west of the capital.
"About 10 people were killed and dozens more were injured," said the spokesman, Mr Vakha Ibraguimov. He added: "Federal troops in occupied territory are regrouping and reprovisioning. They have not advanced one meter today."
Mr Ibraguimov added that Chechen troops were also regrouping and preparing new tactics to take on the Russian army.
"There will be no storming of Grozny," the Russian Deputy Chief-of-Staff, Gen Valery Manilov, speaking through an interpreter, told a news conference in London.
"We have enough forces, sources and experience at our disposal. . . No land operation in the accepted sense of the word is either being conducted or will be conducted," he added, banging his fist on the table.
Earlier yesterday Russian troops exchanged fire with Islamist fighters in mountain villages, keeping up pressure on the breakaway region.
Russia says it is hitting targets in Chechnya that are useful to the rebels, who have launched attacks on the neighbouring province of Dagestan.
Russia also accuses the militants of launching bomb attacks in Moscow and other towns.
Gen Manilov, in Britain for a conference on the Balkans, dismissed reports of civilian casualties as a result of Russian strikes, saying they targeted only the rebels.
"We are using aerial force and artillery and it is used against those terrorist centres which we know of through our intelligence," he said.
He also denied Chechen accusations that a Russian tank had destroyed a bus carrying Chechen refugees, calling it "virtual reality" and false information provided by the rebels.
In Moscow, President Yeltsin discussed the crisis with the Prime Minister, Mr Vladimir Putin, saying special attention should be paid to media reports of activities there so that rebels could not manipulate information.
Gen Manilov drew a distinction between the Russian campaign and NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia over Kosovo.
Moscow's actions had the full support of Chechens who wanted peace, he said.
"In Chechnya the aim is to eliminate the terrorists. . . the aim is real, very honourable and will be realised - unlike Kosovo." He said no Islamic states supported the rebel action.
Russia may use nuclear weapons if under threat, Gen Manilov was reported by Interfax news agency as saying. Gen Manilov was commenting on the country's new military doctrine, the draft of which will be soon discussed by the Russian Security Council. According to the doctrine, Moscow may use nuclear force if "Russia's independence or territorial integrity came under threat". Gen Manilov sees NATO's eastward expansion as a potential threat.