To bomb Grozny, inflicting civilian casualties, can, possibly, be justified by claiming that it is for the greater good of Chechnya and Russia. The overthrow by force of the administration of Chechnya's democratically elected president would, it is argued, end an intolerable situation. It would, the Kremlin believes, facilitate the capture of warlords and militants who have wrought havoc in the region by kidnapping and insurgency and in metropolitan Russia by the murder of hundreds of innocent civilians as they slept in their apartment blocks. Chechnya is internationally recognised as an integral part of the Russian Federation. Russia, therefore, has the right to ensure that its writ runs there and that the civilian population is not subjected to terror at the whim of local warlords or on the demands of religious extremists.
It has been for reasons such as these that criticism from western governments and institutions has, with the exception of strong condemnation from Germany, been muted. In recent days, however, western governments have been given cause to look more critically at the military actions engaged in by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Responsibility for the explosion which killed more than 100 in a Grozny market has been claimed by some Russian officials and denied by others, including Mr Putin. So many versions of the event have emanated from Russian sources, official and unofficial, that it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that a cover-up is under way to shield Russian forces from blame.
Events at the weekend have been more serious. Moves by the Russian authorities to block refugees from entering the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia and hunt them back into the war zone verge on the barbarous. Moscow may claim that this is an internal matter but human rights are the concern of all and there is little doubt that the turning back of refugees in this manner disregards the most basic rights of its own citizens. The establishment of a regional puppet government under Mr Malik Saidullaev, a Chechen who runs a major Russian lottery, is another dubious aim of Mr Putin's administration. Mr Saidullaev and a Chechen parliament established in 1996, following a travesty of an election, have been declared the legitimate government of Chechnya. In following this course Mr Putin has effectively renounced the treaty of Khassav Yurt between Russia and Chechnya which brought the first Chechen war to an end.
The polls now show Mr Putin as favourite to win the presidency next summer and the Chechen adventure, aided by President Yeltsin's silence, has played a major part in this. Russia's frustrated voters feel that something is being done to avenge the apartment blasts. They are also being subjected to a barrage of propaganda from the country's supine news media. But this war may still be in its early stages. When the coffins begin to return in numbers to the towns and cities of Russia it will be difficult for the media to hide the truth. The tide of Mr Putin's popularity may turn.