TIKHOMIROV DENIES DISMISSAL REPORTS.

Lt. General Vyacheslav Tikhomirov, commander of Russia’s combined forces in Chechnya, yesterday denied the previous day’s reports that he has been replaced. Similarly, president Yeltsin’s office disclaimed knowledge of any move to replace Tikhomirov. Official media had the previous day said that Yeltsin had signed a decree replacing Tikhomirov with Lt. General Pulikovsky. Tikhomirov said yesterday that Pulikovsky is being appointed to a newly created post of first deputy commander in order to enable Tikhomirov to focus on "political-military affairs." This arrangement, he said, was arrived at during a five-hour meeting in Moscow between Tikhomirov and Aleksandr Lebed.

Kuchma Sacks Defense Minister.