(Islam Online) - After Chechen mujahideen downed two Russian jets and five helicopters on Tuesday and killed more than 100 Russian soldiers on Wednesday, all Russian officials could say was that the reports were lies perpetuated by media provocateurs.
A Russian armored patrol was ambushed inside Grozny late Wednesday by about 1,000 Chechen mujahideen armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
Chechen officials said between 300-350 soldiers had died, while journalists said they had counted around 100 bodies.
Russian military sources who asked to remain anonymous were quoted by the military news agency AVN as saying that "about 50" Russian soldiers had been killed in the fighting.
But that did not keep Russian officials from denying the entire episode. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday that reports of the Russian reconnaissance patrol being attacked in Grozny were "totally absurd" and amounted to "provocation."
"It's totally absurd, a provocation designed to sow dissent among Russian soldiers," Putin told the private Russian television NTV.
Putin even had the gall to talk about disinformation. He said: "It's total disinformation which is destined to fail. Grozny will be taken by the Russian army."
The city, which has been under constant attack since September 23 and is completely encircled by Russian forces, is being defended by around 2,000 Chechen mujahideen.
Russian troops now control all but the mountainous southern third of Chechnya and Grozny itself. Russia launched its invasion on October 1, ostensibly to wipe out Islamic "terrorists."
Some Russian officials predicted that their army would crush the mujahideen and occupy the entire country by February. Already in the parts of Chechnya that have been occupied by Russia, Moscow pays people's wages and has taken over, as if it intends to re-annex the Muslim country of 1 million.
