Russia in turmoil as it goes to war again in Chechnya

Russian forces opened the borders of Chechnya in early November to thousands of refugees trying to escape Moscow's six-week-long offensive against separatist guerrillas in the northern Caucasus

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(CNN) -- A decade after the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, Russia was at year's end again embroiled in a hot war within its own borders in the southern region of Chechnya.

Russia's military, still smarting from its humiliation at the hands of Chechen separatist forces during the 1994-1996 war, launched a major offensive in September.

The aim, according to the Kremlin, was to eradicate the Chechen "terrorists" who invaded neighboring Dagestan and who, some say, were responsible for bombings in several Russian cities that killed hundreds of people.

The new fighting, just in time for the severe winter weather, has created a nightmare for humanitarian aid groups. More than 200,000 civilians have fled the region, many of them ending up in overcrowded tent cities with minimal food supplies.

There were fears the fighting would also spread to neighboring Georgia, which has good relations with Moscow but wants to stay clear of the conflict.

Russian troops advance deeper into Chechnya to flush out rebels in early October

Russia refuses to heed international calls that it peacefully conclude the conflict. Moscow has virtually frozen its relations with the West following NATO's military intervention in Kosovo, citing the organization's absence of a mandate from the United Nations. "If NATO decides to act on its own, then that will be fraught with problems for us," Russia's envoy to NATO said in November.

Russia's new prime minister, Vladimir Putin, supports the offensive in Chechnya. Putin, a former KGB agent and head of Russia's domestic security service, was appointed by President Boris Yeltsin in August. Surveys say Putin is very popular among Russians, and Yeltsin himself says he hopes Putin succeeds him.

Putin is certainly expected to be a candidate in the July 2000 presidential elections. He recently announced plans to bring Russia out of its economic slump -- a boost to be fueled in part by the revival of the nation's weapons industry.

Even if Kremlin politicians worked for a solution, however, signs are that some of Russia's military leaders might balk.

The chief Russian military official in Chechnya warned of civil war if such a truce took place, and swore he and his commanders would resign if called on to cease fire.

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