text: New talks in Chechnya as Lebed waits for Yeltsin . Dmitry Kuznets NOVYE ATAGI , Russia 1996-08-27 Russian and rebel military commanders finally met in Chechnya on Tuesday for delayed talks aimed at finalising a ceasefire arranged last week by President Boris Yeltsin 's envoy Alexander Lebed . The Russian army commander in the region , General Vyacheslav Tikhomirov , arrived at the rebel-held village of Novye Atagi , some 20 km ( 12 miles ) south of the Chechen capital Grozny for discussions with rebel chief-of-staff Aslan Maskhadov . But Lebed himself , the Kremlin security chief , is still waiting back in Moscow to meet Yeltsin over his plans for a lasting political settlement in Chechnya . Itar-Tass news agency quoted the Kremlin press service as saying Yeltsin , who left for a state holiday home near Moscow on Monday , would hold no working meetings on Tuesday . Lebed interrupted talks with Chechnya 's separatists on a political deal on Sunday , saying he had to consult with Yeltsin . After a meeting failed to materialise on Monday , Lebed 's spokesman said he might meet the president on Tuesday . But Yeltsin 's spokesman rebuffed the suggestion , saying the president had left Moscow for a holiday near the capital . The Russians postponed the talks after a Chechen band disarmed a column of interior ministry troops on Sunday . The Chechens said a renegade group seized the weapons and said on Monday they had all been returned . The Russian command insisted that not all the weapons were the same as those taken . Tass said the weapons and the practical implementation of the ceasefire signed by Lebed and Maskhadov last Thursday would be on the agenda of today 's talks . Neither spoke to reporters before the meeting , which started around 10.45 a.m. ( 0645 GMT ) . Also in Novye Atagi on Tuesday morning , was Tim Guldimann , the Swiss diplomat who heads the Chechnya mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) . Guldimann , who helped broker an earlier truce in May , was not taking part in the Tikhomirov-Maskhadov talks . Lebed 's peace mission this month has stopped some of the worst fighting of the 20-month-old conflict . However , tension on the ground indicates that it could falter if the momentum for a settlement is not maintained . Three Russian servicemen were wounded in a total of six shooting incidents overnight , Itar-Tass news agency quoted the Russian military as saying on Tuesday morning . RIA news agency quoted an army source accusing rebel fighters of failing to turn up for joint Russian-Chechen police patrols in some districts of the capital Grozny on Tuesday . But the separatist command told Interfax news agency the patrols , part of the truce brokered by Lebed last week , would begin on Tuesday after delays for " technical reasons " . Yeltsin 's spokesman said he might meet officials during his break , but indicated Lebed was low on the list by saying Yeltsin would need time to study the proposals before talking to him . Russian news agencies also quoted the Kremlin spokesman as saying that Lebed 's representatives had not sought a meeting , hinting at an attempt by the president to put his popular and outspoken protege in his place with a lesson on protocol . Yeltsin , 65 , has kept a low profile since he was reelected in July , prompting new speculation that the two heart attacks he suffered last year and a rumoured drinking problem could be taking their toll , weakening his grip on affairs of state . Aides have dismissed such speculation , insisting that he simply needs a rest after his energetic election campaign . Some analysts say the Kremlin leader , whose order sending troops and tanks into Chechnya in 1994 started Russia 's ill-fated military campaign , could merely be reluctant to put his name to a peace process which might fall apart . But Lebed , who has no real power without his boss and has hinted at dark forces in Moscow working against him , appears to think a deal will not stick without strong backing from Yeltsin . His proposals have not been spelled out but are expected to involve a compromise between the separatists ' demand for independence and Moscow 's insistence that Chechnya remain part of the Russian Federation .