Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 8, 1995 TAG: 9501090063
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM COX NEWS SERVICE AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: MOSCOW LENGTH: Medium
The battle death of Maj. Gen. Victor Vorobyov, who commanded all Interior Ministry special forces in the Caucasus region, came amidst Western reports that some of Russia's elite units have refused to join the battle.
Some paratrooper and special forces units reportedly have balked at entering the fray in Chechnya, leaving more poorly trained and equipped conscripts to face the tenacious Muslim rebels. Earlier, some Russian officers and troops refused to advance when civilians blocked their path.
The death of the first senior Russian officer was sure to raise even more disquiet among the estimated 40,000 Interior Ministry and regular Army forces that have been unable to accomplish the expected quick defeat of Chechnya's ragtag rebels.
The latest attacks came on the Russian Orthodox Christmas Day, which had led some Russian opponents of the war to urge fruitlessly at least a brief cessation of hostilities. Television newscasts Saturday were an incongruous tapestry of majestic religious rites and grim war footage.
In Moscow, political tensions were underscored when President Boris Yeltsin failed to make an expected appearance Saturday at the seminal event of the Christmas Day celebration, the laying of the cornerstone for the rebuilding of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in downtown Moscow. The church was destroyed by the communist regime in 1931, and Yeltsin has taken pains to support its rebuilding.
Yeltsin, who scarcely has been seen in public since the Chechnya offensive began almost a month ago, also postponed his annual message to Parliament without giving a reason. It had been scheduled for Wednesday and is now expected in late January.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB