Moscow - The Russian Prime Minister, Mr Vladimir Putin, said yesterday that Russian troops would move in and out of Chechnya as they saw fit, but the rebel region vowed to strike back if Russia mounted a full-scale assault.
Russian warplanes bombed Chechnya for the eighth straight day, prompting more Chechens to flee to neighbouring provinces. Fears over an escalation of the conflict prompted Germany, France and Italy to express concern about Moscow's campaign to root out what it says were Islamic militants in Chechnya.
Meanwhile, it emerged Russia has officially asked the United Nations to help it cope with refugees in the North Caucasus and a UN relief agency said yesterday it would be sending the first aid convoy within hours.