THE man President Yell sin sent to make peace in Chechnya, Gen Alexander Lebed, said he had saved the people of Grozny from the Russian army's threat to flatten their city this morning.
But with no word from the military command in the region, it may be daylight before the hundred thousand or so frightened civilians in the Chechen capital can feel surer that the President's man has prevailed over his own generals.
The Kremlin security chief said he agreed a ceasefire at an 11th hour meeting last night with the commander of the separatist rebels, who seized most of Grozny a fortnight ago. Gen Lebed assured Mr Aslan Maskhadov that the Russian generals' ultimatum to the separatists to pull out of the capital or face an attack was "a bad joke" and said there would be no bombing.
"Lebed gave a guarantee that there would be no storming of Grozny tomorrow nor in the future," Mr Maskhadov, the separatist chief of staff, said after his late night talks with Mr Yeltsin's security chief in the village of Novye Atagi.
"I have taken it upon myself never again to give the Chechen side ultimatums," said Gen Lebed, telling local people who gathered around that he would strive to justify their trust. The two men, who seemed at ease with each other, agreed the need for a truce. Gen Lebed said they would meet at 10 a.m. this morning to take "concrete decisions on a ceasefire".
But ceasefires have come and gone in 20 months of war in Chechnya. And with Russia's chain of command looking more than usually tangled over the past few days, it will be some hours before Grozny can be sure that Gen Lebed is as good as his word.
Asked about his tug of war with the generals, Gen Lebed was quoted as saying: "No one has given anyone any powers. You simply have to take it, as I am quietly doing. We have to restore a single command structure."
The acting Russian commander in the region, Gen Konstantin Pulikovsky, made his threat of an all out bombardment on Monday. He accused the rebels of abusing a shaky truce agreed last week with Gen Lehed's help and he gave civilians 48 hours to flee their homes. His superior, Gen Vyacheslav Tikhomirov, returned from holiday and sounded equally bellicose yesterday.
The army seemed set on avenging the humiliation of losing Grozny to Mr Maskhadov's irregular but well led guerrillas.
Gen Tikhomirov met Gen Lebed before he left for his talks with Mr Maskhadov. But by early today there was still no confirmation from the generals that they would hold their fire.
One hopeful sign for those in Grozny - the Red Cross estimated there were now about 120,000 after a similar number fled the past fortnight's fighting - was the lull that set in over the city as soon as Gen Lebed landed.
Mr Yeltsin, as commander in chief of Russia's armed forces, is in overall command of Moscow's biggest military engagement since the Afghan war.
Interfax news agency said he was due back at his Kremlin desk today after a two day break in the countryside. Aides say he is resting and denied reports he has suffered a recurrence of heart trouble.
Mr Maskhadov said the separatist leadership remained wary of in fighting in Moscow that could thwart Gen Lebed's peacemaking.
"We hope Lebed will be able to conquer those in Moscow who do not want to conclude the war," he said.