NEW RUSSIAN ATTACKS IN CHECHNYA.

At virtually the same moment that Yeltsin was telling the summit press conference that the fighting was over in Chechnya, Russian forces attacked the Chechen village of Serzhen-Yurt, killing seven and wounding eight more, Moscow radio reported May 10. The Moscow Times said that OSCE observers had been in Serzhen-Yurt when five Russian Mi-24 helicopters raided the village. Reports of these attacks prompted the American summit delegation to sharpen its criticism of Moscow’s policies in Chechnya. Secretary of State Warren Christopher dismissed Yeltsin’s claims; his remarks, the secretary said, are “something we simply disagree with.” Later, President Clinton told students at the University of Moscow that “continued fighting in that region can only spill more blood and further erode support for Russia among her neighbors around the world.” Nonetheless, Russian attacks are likely to increase: Yeltsin’s ineffectual V-E Day cease-fire ends at 20:00 GMT today. Such attacks are likely to alienate more Russians as well. On May 7 Segodnya asked who are the “main bandits” in Chechnya, leaving open the possibility that they might be the Russians. And despite President Clinton’s mentioning the case at the summit news conference, nothing new was reported May 10 on the fate of Fred Cuny, an American relief expert who has been missing in Chechnya since April 9.

Clinton Meets with Russian Opposition.