GROZNY, Russia -- Russia no longer recognizes the democratically elected parliament of Chechnya, the government announced Friday, while the military said its forces would establish a security zone in the breakaway republic.
Russian jets continued to bomb targets across Chechnya, sending more than 88,000 civilians fleeing to neighboring regions that have little capacity to care for them.In a sign that Moscow is seeking Chechen allies to possibly reassert its rule, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the Chechen parliament elected in 1997 was not a legitimate body. Moscow would recognize only a previous parliament, he said -- one that was largely pro-Russian.
The statement underlined Russia's increasingly tough stance on Chechnya, clouding prospects for talks on preventing the conflict from escalating into an all-out war, like the 1994-96 fighting that devastated Chechnya and humiliated Russia.
The military situation around Chechnya's borders remained murky. Russian troops took strategic heights several miles inside Chechnya earlier this week, but it was not clear if the advance was a limited move or the precursor to a full invasion.
Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said Friday his troops would create a "security zone" in Chechnya, but gave no details, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.
"The width of the zone that will guarantee security will be defined for every particular section," he was quoted as saying.
Chechen War Minister Magomed Khambiyev said Friday there had been no clashes with Russian ground troops and Chechen forces would fight only on orders from President Aslan Maskhadov, according to ITAR-Tass.
Chechnya is split by clan rivalries and Putin's announcement could give it allies in the region. But it also could backfire and help unite a majority of Chechens against Moscow and its local allies.
It was not clear if Putin's remarks applied to Maskhadov's government, which has been unable to control local warlords who launched attacks on Russian territory. Maskhadov favors a political settlement with Moscow.
After Putin's announcement, the speaker of the old parliament, Ali Alavdinov, said its members would set up a government-in-exile.
Ruslan Aushev, president of Ingushetia -- which neighbors Chechnya -- said Putin's statement would only make the situation worse. "The legitimate authority in Chechnya today is President Maskhadov, whether anyone likes it or not," he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
More than 88,000 refugees have fled Chechnya since the bombing began, straining the resources of the surrounding, impoverished Russian regions. Several tent camps have been set up, but resources fall far short of what is needed, aid officials said.
Four trucks from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, carrying tents, mattresses, food and other supplies arrived in Ingushetia on Friday..