Estonia backs Chechens

Estonia's difficult relations with Russia grew even more tense yesterday after Moscow denounced Estonia's parliament for expressing sorrow at the reported death of a Chechen guerrilla commander, writes Tony Barber. The commander, Salman Raduyev, organised a hostage-taking raid last January on the southern Russian town of Kizlyar and is said to have died in this week's clashes in Chechnya.

More than 60 of Estonia's 101 members of parliament sent a message of condolence to the Chechen leader, Dzhokhar Dudayev, whose fight for independence is viewed with sympathy in Estonia.