Putin says troops on alert

Kursk - The President of Russia, Mr Vladimir Putin, said yesterday sporadic fighting was continuing in the breakaway Chechnya region and that guerrillas could launch fresh attacks to try to mar second World War Victory Day celebrations today. A day after his Kremlin inauguration ceremony, at which he vowed to preserve Russia's unity and its status as a great power, Mr Putin visited the southern city of Kursk to pay tribute to war veterans. Asked at a news conference about the situation in Chechnya, Mr Putin said: "There are isolated battles going on. There is no out-and-out fighting but the situation is tense."