RUSSIA . . . YELTSIN LOOSENS CHECHNYA ULTIMATUM

The incipient civil war between Russia and the self-declared republic of Chechnya today produced mixed signals: Russian President Boris Yeltsin extended by 48 hours today's deadline for Chechens to drop their arms, while Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev -- who just yesterday angrily withdrew his emissaries from peace talks -- said further negotiations were necessary. Neither side's rhetoric appeared to reflect the reality on the ground, as Russian troops nearly surrounded Grozny, Chechnya's capital, and Chechen soldiers dug trenches to prepare for a full-scale attack. Only heavy fog produced a pause in the skirmishes; by nightfall, shelling and gunshots resumed near Grozny and in several key villages.