The official RIA Novosti press service reported on February 7 that, "Four Russian [military] helicopters have crashed in Chechnya over the past two weeks, leaving twenty-three people killed, one person wounded and three others missing.... The causes of these accidents are currently under investigation. The... MORE

The no. 4 (January 31) issue of the magazine Itogi contains a piece by correspondent Oleg Odnokolenko which reports that "circles of experts close to the [Russian] government and presidential administration" are thinking of recommending that a Russia-wide referendum be conducted on the question of... MORE

On February 14, a delegation from the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia. Its goal was to attempt to come to agreement with the Georgian side concerning the return of Chechen refugees living in the Pankisi Gorge area of northeastern Georgia to... MORE

On February 12, the online daily Gazeta.ru published the complete text of President Putin's interview held on the previous day with the Wall Street Journal (the Journal had limited itself to summarizing the main points of the interview). Asked about the state of U.S.-Russian relations... MORE

In a statement issued by Chechenpress.com on February 13, Chechen separatist President Aslan Maskhadov observed: "Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Federal Security Service boss Nikolai Patrushev are still touting the myth that Chechens were behind the [September 1999] terror bombings that sparked Moscow's genocidal... MORE

On February 9, the Washington Post reported that "a senior representative of the [separatist] Chechen government publicly declared support for the U.S. war against terrorism, making a statement requested by State Department officials." "After a three-week U.S. visit," the Post account continued, "Ilyas Akhmadov [the... MORE

The newspaper Novye Izvestia reported on February 15 that, while it has been announced that the number of checkpoints in Chechnya are to be reduced, there remain as of today far too many of them: "The number of checkpoints in recent times," it was reported,... MORE

On February 13, the Consultative Council for the pro-Moscow Chechen administration presented the draft of a new constitution for the republic which had been prepared by the entourage of Akhmad Kadyrov. "According to the Kadyrov draft," Kommersant reported, "the highest organ of power in Chechnya... MORE

On February 15, Stanislav Il'yasov, prime minister of the pro-Moscow Chechen government, told Interfax that elections in Chechnya cannot realistically be held for at least eighteen months. "One year," he stipulated, "is needed to adopt and introduce a new republican constitution, and at least six... MORE