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(20 Oct 1999) Russian/Nat
Russian Premier Vladimir Putin rallied Russian troops in Chechnya on Wednesday as they closed in on the breakaway province's capital city of Grozny.
Putin declared that his troops would "fulfill their task to the end," apparently contradicting earlier hints from the Kremlin that it does not plan to try to capture Grozny.
The Russian leader's visit to the battle front in Chechnya came just as Russian forces began pounding the outskirts of Grozny, and the roar of heavy artillery could be heard right across the city.
Russian troops entered Chechnya three weeks ago, since when they have slowly advanced from three directions but have stopped short of Grozny.
The success of the Chechnya campaign so far has been very popular with Russian voters, and with Putin expected to stand as President in next year's elections, the temptation to try to win an outright victory must be strong.
But many senior politicians - including one of Putin's predecessors as prime minister, Yevgeny Primakov, are calling for Russian troops not to move beyond northern Chechnya and to consolidate their position there.
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