OUTSIDE BAMUT, Russia (Reuters) -- Russia unleashed its heaviest bombing yet against Chechnya on Saturday, pushing troops into the rebel region's densely populated heartland and driving panic-stricken villagers into cellars for shelter.
Russia's NTV television said Russian pilots had flown 180 sorties over the past 24 hours, delivering the most intensive bombing since the campaign began seven weeks ago.Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Friday's seizure by federal troops of Chechnya's second biggest town, Gudermes, marked a turning point in the campaign.
He said that the local population had been helping the troops to drive out the "bandits," or Islamic rebels Moscow blames for bomb blasts in Russian cities.
NTV television showed Russian commanders addressing local people in Gudermes. It also showed the Russian flag being hoisted above the town to the strains of the national anthem.
Itar-Tass news agency reported that two Russian soldiers were killed when their car ran over a land mine in the town.
Earlier on Saturday a long armoured column of Russian forces pushed into Chechnya from the west, occupying a key crossroads on the main highway to Grozny. Warplanes, helicopters and artillery fire streaked through the skies, blitzing the western villages of Bamut and Samashki with unprecedented firepower.
In the foothills beneath Bamut, Russian forces fired volleys of Grad short-range rockets at the ruined village every five or 10 minutes, sending clouds of smoke rising above huge craters in an afternoon drizzle.
Putin defiant despite western, U.N. concern
Putin, whose tough stance on Chechnya has turned him into Russia's most popular politician ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections, defended the campaign in a telephone conversation with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
"Russia is prepared for a political settlement to the Chechen problem, but not with those who have posed (for pictures) over the corpses of our citizens," Putin's press secretary quoted him as telling Annan.
Russia says it is aiming only at guerrilla targets, but Western leaders accuse Moscow of killing many civilians.
On Saturday French President Jacques Chirac called Russia's Chechen campaign "a tragic mistake."
"We have to persuade the Russian authorities to find a negotiated solution and let the humanitarian relief agencies do their job," said Chirac during a visit to Marseilles.
Western criticism of Russia's offensive is expected to intensify next week when Putin attends a summit of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Putin said he would discuss Chechnya and the OSCE meeting with President Boris Yeltsin on Sunday. Yeltsin is also invited to Istanbul for the summit, but the Kremlin has not confirmed he will attend.
Russia shells heavily populated valley
Through Friday night rockets whistled and shells exploded around the town of Urus-Martan and nearby villages of Gekhi, Gekhi-Chu and Roshni-Chu in the fertile valley south of Grozny, home to most Chechens, Reuters correspondent Alkha Tosuyev said.
In cellars in Gekhi mothers consoled their weeping children. Adults said they had seen nothing as bad as the bombing, even during the worst days of the 1994-96 Chechen war.
"See what kind of humanitarian aid Russia is sending us? These rockets are killing people even though there are no fighters in our village," said Shavani Musayev, showing a fragment of a rocket that exploded near the village.
Russian troops occupied the crossroads along the main east-west highway at the hamlet of Kulary, near the turn-off to Gekhi, an advance from the west of several miles that brought them into the densely populated Urus-Martan district.
They shelled the district from the west and north, where they are occupying high ground overlooking Grozny.
Interfax said there was also widespread destruction in Grozny itself from intensive bombing. It was not possible to travel widely to survey the damage. Interfax said the plan was to completely encircle the Chechen capital.
Russian forces entered Chechnya in October saying their aim was to set up a security zone against Islamic militants, but now say they will not stop until they have brought the entire province to heel.