DEFENCE MINISTRY OFFICIAL DENIES CHEMICAL STRIKE ON GROZNY

MOSCOW, December 7 (AVN) - A high-ranking Defence Ministry official on Tuesday refuted the report of the Chechen Kavkaz-Centre news agency claiming that federals had inflicted a chemical strike on Grozny.

Russian troops strictly obey to international agreements banning development and use of radioactive, bacteriological, chemical and other toxic agents in military purposes, Colonel-General Stanislav Petrov, head of the Defence Ministry radioactive, chemical and bacteriological protection department, told the Military News Agency.

His statement was backed up by a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters in the North Caucasus, who told the Agency that federals are only using conventional high-explosive and armour-piercing weapons in strikes on Grozny.

Besides, aviation and artillery are using high-precision weapons to reduce the number of casualties among civilians, the spokesman said.

According to Kavkaz-Centre, a chemical strike was inflicted on Grozny at 8.00 on Monday.