World

Chechen Refugee Crisis

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

October 28, 1999 / 6:12 PM EDT / CBS

Russian warplanes are flying hundreds of missions as troops on the ground pummel Chechen positions and surround the capital of the breakaway republic, CBS News Correspondent David Hawkins reports.

Russia claims its military campaign is targeting Chechen terrorists, and says they're taking care to avoid civilian casualties.

But the Red Cross says that on Friday, two of its workers were killed when a Russian warplane rocketed a convoy of refugees and hit a clearly-marked Red Cross truck. Russia's military denies it, and released a gun-sight video showing an airplane striking two trucks, which they say, contained Chechen guerillas.

Chechen refugees at the border say the attack killed at least 50 civilians, and Russian soldiers manning checkpoints allowed a small group of wounded to cross.

Thousands of refugees -- mostly women, children and the elderly -- are trapped inside Chechnya. The Russians are blocking their escape for unknown reasons.

"We can't go back," explained one woman. "They're bombing our homes."

So far, about 190,000 refugees have fled since fighting began a month ago. But following two days of deadly attacks on Grozny, thousands more are hoping to flee and Russia pledged to open four corridors out of the region.

Before Russia sealed the escape routes, thousands had fled to Ingushetia, where the U.N. says it is sending a humanitarian mission next week to determine the refugees' needs.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, meanwhile, delivered a strongly worded statement on the danger to civilians.

"Even though the Russians are saying they have to root out terrorists ... still, women and children innocent people get caught in the middle," Annan said. "Obviously, it needs a political settlement, but we're going to try and help in the meantime."

The Russians say they're conducting pin-point attacks on terrorist positions -- but the evidence suggests otherwise. For the thousands of civilians still stranded in Chechnya, no place is safe.