A COLUMN of Russian armoured personnel carriers reached a government compound in central Grozny yesterday evening to help troops defending the buildings against separatist rebels, Interfax news agency said.
Earlier reports said Russian armoured vehicles had failed to enter the city because the road were heavily mined.
Interfax quoted the federal common as saying the rebels who launched a raid on Grozny on Tuesday, had tried to storm the government compound, but all administrative buildings remained under the control of Russian troops last night.
Russian television journalists were continuing to report by telephone from inside the compound where they were stranded with civilians, medical workers and government officials.
The Interfax correspondent said he saw five big fires during a helicopter flight around the city with the pro Moscow Chechen Prime Minister, Mr Nikolai Koshman, and the secretary of Russia's State Commission on Chechnya, Mr Sergei Stepashin.
Interfax said fighting was continuing at four points in the town - the government building police stations, and in the north, and west of the city.
RIA news agency, quoting the mayor of Grozny, said eight Russian helicopter gunships had earlier fired rockets at the central market, wounding civilians and causing major damage. Many residents cowered in basements.
The rebel offensive was their biggest since they seized control of parts of Grozny five months ago. It casts a shadow over President Yeltsin's inauguration, due to take place in the Kremlin tomorrow.
More than 30,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Chechnya since Mr Yeltsin sent troops into the region in December 1994.
The fighting for the dead but accurate casualty figures are impossible to come by. Interfax quoted a mild source as saying about 50 Russian soldiers had been killed and 21 wounded. No rebel casualty estimates were available.
It was unclear just effect the attack on Grozny would have on the Kremlin. Initial reactions from Moscow were that it had killed off the faltering peace process.
But Mr Yeltsin's security chief, Gen Alexander Lebed, said there must be a new start to talks, involving all the interested parties.
"Let's take a look at some kind of new solution, new approach," he told Russian television, suggesting a congress of representatives from all over Chechnya, including religious and political leaders.
Tass said the Russian Prime Minister, Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, planned to report on the situation to the Russian parliament today.
Interfax said the federal command in the southern region was taking "all possible steps" to retake Grozny and evacuate civilians and journalists stuck in the heart of the battle zone.
A Chechen rebel spokesman, Mr Movladi Udugov, offered to open up a corridor to let journalists, women and a child leave the government compound, a correspondent for RIA news agency told Reuters.
Elsewhere, Russian news agencies reported overnight fighting in Argun, on the main road linking Grozny with neighbouring Dagestan.
Interfax quoted rebel leaders as saying they had destroyed 15 Russian armoured vehicles in the town, some 15 km east of Grozny.