Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said on January 27 that federal troops will soon achieve a breakthrough in their attempt to capture the Chechen capital Grozny.

"A breakthrough is looming in the Grozny operation," the Interfax news agency quoted Sergeyev as saying.

"Despite losses among attack groups in Grozny, the rebel losses very much exceed ours. We are taking measures to minimize our losses," he said.

The Russian military said earlier this week that more than 1,100 federal servicemen have died in fighting against rebels in Chechnya and neighboring Daghestan, which came under rebel incursions last August.

Moscow put the number of rebel deaths at around 10,000.

Besides the campaign to capture Grozny, federal troops are also moving to root out rebels in the southern regions of the breakaway republic.

"The speedy action of the army's movement in a southeastern direction is bringing about the conditions for a successful end tothe operation in Grozny," Sergeyev said.

The headquarters of the federal forces in the North Caucasus said Thursday that fighting is especially relentless in the area of the strategic Minutka square of Grozny. Artillery and tanks are shelling the upper floors and roofs of tall buildings in the neighboring streets where rebel snipers are positioned.

Rebels continue holding positions near Yuzhnaya bus station, 500 meters to the east of Minutka, Interfax said, noting continuedfighting in Leninsky and Oktyabrky districts of Grozny.

Rebels are maintaining dogged resistance and skillfully using underground passages and pipelines for raids into the rear of advance federal formations, the headquarters said.

Despite poor weather, federal aircraft continued their bombingraids on rebel positions in Grozny and the southern mountains.

Sukhoi-24 front-line bombers, Sukhoi-25 attack aircraft, and Mi-24 helicopter gunships made over 100 combat missions Thursday, Interfax said, citing federal headquarters.