Russian authorities assert the battle for Groznyy is over.
According to press reports, rebels have left Groznyy to take up new positions in the mountains in southern Chechnya. Russian military operations, including air and artillery strikes, continue across Chechnya. But, as Secretary of State Albright said in her February 2 speech in Moscow, As long as the fighting continues, it will serve as a magnet for extremism that could one day risk the stability of the entire region. As Russian forces continue their operations throughout Chechnya, we reiterate our call to the Russian Federation to redouble its efforts to meet its commitments under the Vienna Document and the Code of Conduct. We have all committed in the Code of Conduct to seek political solutions to conflicts and to avoid indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force and to avoid injury to civilians and their property.