- Title: RUSSIA: CHECHEN GUNMEN COULD HOLD THOUSANDS OF HOSTAGES
- Date: 15th June 1995
- Summary: BUDENNOVSK, RUSSIA (JUNE 15, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV VARIOUS OF THE CITY MARKET WHERE MOST OF THE HOSTAGES WERE TAKEN 0.06 2. SV BURNED TRUCKS AND BUSES 0.27 3. SV RUSSIAN APC'S DRIVING ON THE TOWN STREET 0.41 4. SV RUSSIAN INTERIOR MINISTER VICTOR YERIN TALKING TO HIS TROOPS, ENCOURAGING THEM TO STAY CALM
- Embargoed: 30th June 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BUDENNOVSK, RUSSIA
- City:
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA9LLCU8HQSKKUE7JE6CTWZP3IG
- Story Text: Chechen gunmen holding hundreds, possibly thousands, hostage in a southern Russian town killed at least five of them on Thursday (June 15) and said they would not release the others unless Moscow bowed to their demands.
The fighters, led by rebel commander Shamil Basayev, entered Budennovsk on Wednesday, killing at least 40 people as they stormed buildings in the town.
"It does not matter to us when we die, what matters is how we die. We must die with dignity," said Basayev at a makeshift news conference on Thursday.
Basayev told reporters the five hostages had been killed because Russian authorities were initially reluctant to allow him to meet the press as he had demanded.
He also said additional hostages were killed after his group, holed up in a local hospital, came under Russian fire. He did not give a figure.
Basayev said he held 5,000 people hostage including women, children and hospital patients. A correspondent for Ekho Moskvy radio station said he saw at least 2,000 hostages. Earlier reports put the figure at 300.
The hostages sat everywhere on all four floors of the hospital.
"Please, please help us," cried one woman desperately as reporters passed by.
Media reports said some 200 Basayev fighters had herded hundreds of people into the hospital on Wednesday when they raided Budennovsk firing grenade throwers and machineguns.
Basayev also told reporters he had no intention of releasing the hostages until his main demands were met.
"The main aim of our operation is to end the war in Chechnya, the withdrawal of Russian troops and resolution of all questions through talks," said Basayev, holding a machinegun. He had grenades stuck into breast pockets of his camouflage jacket.
The assault on Budennovsk, a town of about 100,000 people some 70 km (50 miles) from the borders with breakaway Chechnya, brings the Kremlin's ultimate nightmare home to Russians -- a Chechen terror campaign spilling onto Russian soil.
Chechen rebel leader Dzhokhar Dudayev, keen to avoid losing public sympathy for his cause, has insisted his forces had no connection with the attack on Budennovsk. Basayev said his action had not been coordinated with Dudayev.
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