Destroyed Chechen militants. Reference

Chechen terrorist Rezvan Chitigov was exactly a month shy of his 41st birthday. Having been preparing to become a warrior since childhood, he became one. Only he did not defend his own country, women and children, but as a brigadier foreman of the ChRI he fought on the side of the militants, was one of the leaders of unrecognized Ichkeria, having earned the highest award - the Order of "Koman Siy". A participant in many terrorist acts, in fact he was the third most important field commander. What was his fate?

What is known about Chitigov before leaving for the USA

A native of Chechnya was born in 1964, on April 22. His place of birth is the village of Shali. It was here that he spent his childhood and youth. Who did Rezvan Chitigov dream of becoming? The biography shows that in the 80s many wanted to connect their lives with the army and were brought up at special forces schools: airborne, FSB, SOBR. Among the guys of his generation, he was one of the most purposeful and cool. He was fond of shooting, and at the same time he made self-propelled guns, which he then exchanged for real weapons. I trained my body literally to the point of exhaustion, read specialized literature.

He happily went to serve in the SA, from where he returned as a tank commander. He never became a special forces soldier, but got behind the wheel of a ZIL-130 car at the fire department. A locomotive whistle was built for him, announcing the movement and scaring away the local residents.

American period

During the years of perestroika, Rezvan Chitigov became a follower of Islam, thanks to which he left his homeland under the auspices of cooperation with an international religious foundation. It would seem that he should have chosen Turkey or Jordan as his place of residence, but he moved to the USA.

Here he lived off financial fraud until he enlisted as a volunteer in the national Marine Corps. He learned mine explosives by taking sabotage training courses. After receiving a residence permit, he served as a contract Marine. According to Chitigov himself, an enviable career in the US Navy awaited him, but a meeting with Emir Khattab turned his whole life upside down.

A native of Jordan called on his fellow believer to return to Chechnya at a difficult time for it. In 1994, he appeared in his native Shali and took an active part in the First Chechen Campaign.

Rezvan Chitigov: Brigadier General

Among his fellow countrymen, the Marine gathered a small detachment of those oriented towards Wahhabism. His name was American, although his official pseudonym was Ramzan. Chitigov is also known under the call signs "Miner" and "Buran". Soon he led the only tank unit, which was destroyed during hostilities with the federals. However, in battles, Rezvan Chitigov established himself as a desperate and rather cruel commander. His combat vehicle was called the “tank of death.” That is why he received the above award.

During the second military campaign, Rezvan Chitigov and his detachment were among the defenders of Grozny. Later he showed up in the mountains, participated in the defense of Duba-Yurt and Alkharuzovo, after which he moved to Georgian territory. At first he fought under the command of Khattab, then he began to act independently. He settled in the Shali region, becoming a member of the leadership of the self-proclaimed Ichkeria.

Terrorist activities

Back in 1995, Rezvan Chitigov took part in a hostage-taking operation in Budennovsk; his name is associated with the explosion on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow (1999) and the invasion of Dagestan in the same year. Being an explosives specialist, he trained militants, which allowed R. Kadyrov to declare that in 90% of cases it was Chitigov who was behind any terrorist attack in the republic. He was also suspected of having real connections with the CIA. The field commander had financial income from abroad, which allowed him to quickly rank alongside Basayev and Khattab.

In the summer of 2001, people started talking about Chitigov in connection with the discovery of a potent poison, ricin, at the base of the Gudermes region, which was planned to be used against federal troops. Leaflets and radio interceptions actually pointed to the hero of the article.

He is considered one of the organizers of the disappearance of four employees of the OSCE mission, the bombing of cars with military personnel and republican police officers (2001-2002). Since that time, the security service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Chechnya have unsuccessfully tried to trace the criminal.

Appearance

Rezvan Chitigov, a Chechen by nationality, stood out among the militants for his appearance. He was known as a real dandy, most often appearing in an American leather jacket. Short, fit, he always looked neat and well-groomed, even when he appeared at one of the forest bases. It always seemed like he had just showered and changed clothes the day before. Possessing a cheerful and sociable character, he still did not get along with people so easily and could not manage large groups of people. In his native Shali he had many friends, but even more enemies.

Liquidation

On March 20, 2005, Rezvan Chitigov returned to Chechnya from Baku, appearing in his native village. The security service immediately became aware of this. Exits were made at all expected addresses, but Chechen law enforcement officers missed the criminal.

Noticing the surveillance, he hid in a shelter hidden in the wall of his uncle’s apartment. It is unlikely that anyone else could have held out there for three days. It was only possible to be in the room while standing. On the 23rd, the terrorist sent a radio message asking for help, where he said that he was with Ali.

Radio interception again brought intelligence officers to the street. Frunze, and again they found no one. But Chitigov left the shelter a little earlier than he should have, and in doing so dropped the hatch door. Hearing the sound, security forces began storming the apartment. A shootout ensued, during which the militant received seven fatal wounds.

Chitigov never stood trial; he answered for his crimes with his own life.

MASKHADOV Aslan (Khalid) Alievich Elected in 1997, President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Born on September 21, 1951 in Kazakhstan. In 1957, together with his parents, he returned from Kazakhstan to his homeland, to the village of Zebir-Yurt, Nadterechny district of Chechnya. In 1972 he graduated from the Tbilisi Higher Artillery School and was sent to the Far East. He went through all the steps of the army hierarchical ladder from platoon commander to division chief of staff.

In 1981 he graduated from the Leningrad Artillery Academy named after. M.I.Kalinina. After graduating from the academy, he was sent to the Central Group of Forces in Hungary, where he served as a division commander, then as a regiment commander. Lithuania follows Hungary: commander of a self-propelled artillery regiment, chief of staff of the missile forces and artillery of the garrison of the city of Vilnius in Lithuania, deputy commander of the seventh division in the Baltic Military District.

In January 1990, during protests by supporters of Lithuanian independence, Maskhadov was in Vilnius.

Since 1991 - Head of the Civil Defense of the Chechen Republic, Deputy Head of the Main Staff of the Supreme Council of the Chechen Republic.

In 1992, Colonel Maskhadov retired from the Russian army and took the post of first deputy chief of the Main Staff of the Chechen Republic.

Since March 1994 - Chief of the Main Staff of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic.

From December 1994 to January 1995, he headed the defense of the presidential palace in Grozny.

In the spring of 1995, Aslan Maskhadov led the military operations of the armed formations from the headquarters in Nozhai-Yurt.

In June 1995, he headed the headquarters of Dudayev’s formations in Dargo.

In August-October 1995, he headed a group of military representatives of the Dudayev delegation at the Russian-Chechen negotiations.

In August 1996, he represented Chechen separatists in negotiations with Security Council Secretary Alexander Lebed

On October 17, 1996, he was appointed to the post of Prime Minister of the coalition government of Chechnya with the wording “for the transition period.”

In December 1996, in accordance with the election law, he resigned from official posts - prime minister of the coalition government, chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, deputy commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, in order to have the right to run for the post of president of Chechnya.

Since July 1998, he served as acting prime minister of Chechnya, combining this position with the post of president.

In December 1998, “field commanders” Shamil Basayev, Salman Raduev and Khunkar Israpilov tried to challenge Maskhadov’s constitutional powers under the pretext of his “pro-Russian position.” The “Council of Commanders of Chechnya,” headed by them, demanded that the Supreme Sharia Court remove Maskhadov from office. The Sharia court suggested that Maskhadov unilaterally sever relations with Russia. However, the court did not find sufficient grounds to remove the President of the Chechen Republic from office, although he was found guilty of selecting persons “who collaborated with the occupation regime” for leadership positions.
Destroyed on March 8, 2005 by Russian FSB special forces in the village of Tolstoy-Yurt, Grozny district.

BARAEV Arbi. He was suspected of organizing the kidnappings of FSB officers Gribov and Lebedinsky, the plenipotentiary representative of the Russian President in Chechnya Vlasov, Red Cross employees, as well as the murder of four citizens of Great Britain and New Zealand (Peter Kennedy, Darren Hickey, Rudolf Pestchi and Stanley Shaw). The Ministry of Internal Affairs put Baraev on the federal wanted list in a criminal case regarding the abduction in Chechnya of NTV television journalists - Masyuk, Mordyukov, Olchev and OPT television journalists - Bogatyrev and Chernyaev. In total, he personally accounts for the death of about two hundred Russians - military personnel and civilians.

On June 23-24, 2001, in the ancestral village of Alkhan-Kala and Kulary, a special joint detachment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB conducted a special operation to eliminate a detachment of militants from Arbi Barayev. 15 militants and Barayev himself were destroyed.

BARAEV Movsar, nephew of Arbi Barayev. Movsar received his first baptism of fire in the summer of 1998 in Gudermes, when the Barayevites, together with the Urus-Martan Wahhabis, clashed with fighters from the detachment of the Yamadayev brothers. Then Movsar was wounded.

After the entry of federal troops into Chechnya, Arbi Barayev appointed his nephew as commander of a sabotage detachment and sent him to Argun. In the summer of 2001, when Arbi Barayev was killed in the village of Alkhan-Kala, Grozny rural district, Movsar proclaimed himself, instead of his uncle, emir of the Alkhan-Kala jamaat. Organized several attacks on federal convoys and a series of explosions in Grozny, Urus-Martan and Gudermes.

In October 2002, terrorists led by Movsar Barayev seized the building of the House of Culture of the State Bearing Plant on Melnikova Street (Theater Center on Dubrovka), during the musical "Nord-Ost". Spectators and actors (up to 1000 people) were taken hostage. On October 26, the hostages were released, Movsar Barayev and 43 terrorists were killed.

SULEIMENOV Movsan. Nephew of Arbi Barayev. Killed on August 25, 2001 in the city of Argun during a special operation by officers of the Russian FSB Directorate for Chechnya. The operation was carried out with the aim of establishing the exact location and detention of Suleimenov. However, during the operation, Movsan Suleimenov and three other mid-level commanders offered armed resistance. As a result, they were destroyed.

ABU Umar. Native of Saudi Arabia. One of Khattab's most famous assistants. Mine explosives expert. Mined the approaches to Grozny in 1995. Participated in organizing explosions in Buinaksk in 1998, and was wounded in the explosion. Organized an explosion in Volgograd on May 31, 2000, in which 2 people were killed and 12 were injured.

Abu Umar trained almost all the organizers of the explosions in Chechnya and the North Caucasus.

In addition to preparing terrorist attacks, Abu-Umar dealt with financing issues

militants, including the transfer of mercenaries to Chechnya through the channels of one of

international Islamic organizations.

Destroyed on July 11, 2001 in the village of Mayrup, Shalinsky district, during a special operation by the FSB and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Emir Ibn Al Khattab. Professional terrorist, one of the most irreconcilable militants in Chechnya.

Some of the most “well-known” operations carried out under the leadership or with the direct participation of Khattab and his militants include:

Terrorist attack in the city of Budennovsk (70 people were allocated from Khattab’s detachment, there were no losses among them);

Providing a “corridor” for S. Raduev’s gang to exit the village. Pervomayskoye - an operation prepared and carried out personally by Khattab to destroy the column of the 245th motorized rifle regiment near the village. Yaryshmards;

Direct participation in the preparation and attack on Grozny in August 1996.

Terrorist attack in Buinaksk on December 22, 1997. During an armed attack on a military unit in Buinaksk, he was wounded in his right shoulder.

RADUEV Salman. From April 1996 to June 1997, Raduev was the commander of the armed unit "General Dudayev's Army".

In 1996-1997, Salman Raduev repeatedly took responsibility for terrorist attacks committed on Russian territory and made threats against Russia.

In 1998, he took responsibility for the assassination attempt on Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze. He also took responsibility for the explosions at train stations in Armavir and Pyatigorsk. The Raduevskaya gang was engaged in robberies on the railways; it was guilty of theft of public funds in the amount of 600 - 700 thousand rubles, intended to pay salaries to teachers in the Chechen Republic.

On March 12, 2000, he was captured in the village of Novogroznensky during a special operation by FSB officers.

The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation has charged Salman Raduev under 18 articles of the Criminal Code of Russia (including "terrorism", "murder", "banditry"). The sentence is life imprisonment.

Died on December 14, 2002. Diagnosis: hemorrhagic vasculitis (incoagulability of blood). He was buried on December 17 at the city cemetery of Solikamsk (Perm region).

ATGERIEV Turpal-Ali. Former employee of the 21st company of the Grozny traffic police. During the hostilities, he was the commander of the Novogroznensky regiment, which, together with Salman Raduev, participated in the Kizlyar and May Day events.

Based on this fact, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under Art. 77 (banditry), Art. 126 (hostage-taking) and Art. 213-3, part 3 (terrorism). Put on the federal wanted list.

On December 25, 2002, the Supreme Court of Dagestan sentenced Atgeriev to 15 years in prison for participation in the attack on the Dagestan city of Kizlyar in January 1996. Atgeriev was found guilty of terrorism, organizing illegal armed groups, kidnapping and hostage-taking, and robbery.

Died on August 18, 2002. The cause of death was leukemia. In addition, it was established that Atgeriev had a stroke.

GELAEV Ruslan (Khamzat). Former commander of the special forces regiment "BORZ" of the Armed Forces of ChRI, lieutenant colonel of the army of Ichkeria.

During combat operations - commander of the Shatoevsky garrison, commander of the "Abkhaz battalion". Gelayev’s formation consisted of eight hundred to nine hundred well-armed militants, including about fifty snipers from Lithuania and ten to fifteen snipers from Estonia. The so-called special-purpose regiment was stationed in the areas of Sharoy, Itum-Kale, and Khalkina.

In 2002, he announced his intention to obtain the post of President of Ichkeria; he was supported by the former head of Dudayev’s foreign intelligence service, the famous criminal oil businessman Khozhi Nukhaev.

On August 20, 2002, Ruslan Gelayev’s gang attempted an armed transition from the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia through the territory of North Ossetia and Ingushetia to Chechnya.

On March 1, 2004, the territorial department "Makhachkala" of the North Caucasus branch of the border service department distributed reports of the death of Ruslan Gelayev in the mountains of Dagestan (reports of his death were heard repeatedly).

MUNAEV Isa. Chechen field commander. He led detachments operating in the Chechen capital, and was appointed military commandant of the city of Grozny by Aslan Maskhadov in early 1999.

Killed on October 1, 2000 during a military clash in the Stapropromyslovsky district of Grozny (according to the press center of the United Group of Russian Forces in Chechnya, 2000).

MOVSAEV Abu. Deputy Minister of Sharia Security of Ichkeria.

After the attack on Budennovsk (1995), they began to claim that Abu Movsaev was one of the organizers of the action. After Budennovsk he received the rank of brigadier general. In 1996 - July 1997 - Head of the State Security Department of Ichkeria. During the armed conflict in Chechnya, for some time in 1996 he served as chief of the main headquarters of the Chechen formations.

KARIEV (KORIEV) Magomed. Chechen field commander.

Until September 1998, Kariev was deputy head of the Security Service of Ichkeria. He was then appointed head of the 6th Department of the Ministry of Sharia Security, responsible for the fight against organized crime.

Kariev was involved in kidnapping and hostage-taking for ransom.

He was killed on May 22, 2001 by several shots at the door of the apartment he rented in Baku under the guise of a refugee.

TSAGARAEV Magomad. One of the leaders of Chechen gangs. Tsagarayev was Movzan Akhmadov’s deputy and directly led military operations; was Khattab's closest confidant.

In March 2001, Tsagaraev was wounded, but managed to escape and penetrate abroad. At the beginning of July 2001, he returned to Chechnya and organized gang groups in Grozny to carry out terrorist attacks.

MALIK Abdul. Famous field commander. He was part of the inner circle of the leaders of illegal armed groups in Chechnya, Emir Khattab and Shamil Basayev. Killed on August 13, 2001 during a special operation in the Vedeno region of the Chechen Republic.

KHAIHAROEV Ruslan. Famous Chechen field commander. During the war in Chechnya (1994-1996) he commanded detachments of defenders of the village of Bamut and the southeastern front of the Chechen army.

After 1996, Khaikharoev had extensive connections in the criminal world of the North Caucasus, controlling two types of criminal business: transporting hostages from Ingushetia and North Ossetia to the Chechen Republic, as well as smuggling of petroleum products. Former employee of Dudayev's personal security.

It is assumed that he was involved in the disappearance without a trace of journalists of the Nevskoe Vremya newspaper Maxim Shablin and Felix Titov, and also ordered two explosions in Moscow trolleybuses on July 11 and 12, 1996. Accused by the Russian Security Service of organizing the explosion of an intercity passenger bus in Nalchik.

The organizer of the abduction on May 1, 1998 of the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in Chechnya, Valentin Vlasov (this fact was established by Russian law enforcement agencies).

He died on September 8, 1999 in the district hospital of the city of Urus-Martan, Chechen Republic. He died from wounds received on the night of August 23-24, 1999 during the fighting in the Botlikh region of Dagestan (he fought as part of Arbi Barayev’s units).

According to another version, Khaikharoev was mortally wounded by fellow villagers who were blood relatives of Bamut. The news of his death was confirmed by the press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

KHACHUKAEV Khizir. Brigadier General, Deputy of Ruslan Gelayev. Commanded the South-Eastern Defense Sector in Grozny. Demoted to private by Maskhadov for participating in negotiations with Akhmad Kadyrov and Vladimir Bokovikov in Nazran. Destroyed on February 15, 2002 during an operation in the Shali region of Chechnya.

UMALATOV Adam. Nickname - "Tehran". One of the leaders of Chechen militants. He was a member of Khattab's gang. Killed on November 5, 2001 as a result of an operation carried out by special forces.

IRISKHANOV Shamil. An influential field commander from Basayev's inner circle. Together with Basayev, he took part in the raid on Budenovsk and the taking of hostages in a city hospital there in 1995. He led a detachment of about 100 militants in the summer of 2001, after his older brother, the so-called Brigadier General Khizir IRISKHANOV, Basayev’s first deputy, was killed in a special operation. “For the operation” in Budenovsk, Dzhokhar Dudayev awarded the Iriskhanov brothers the highest order of “Ichkeria” - “Honor of the Nation”.

SALTAMIRZAEV Adam. An influential member of illegal armed groups. He was the emir (spiritual leader) of the Wahhabis of the village of Mesker-Yurt. Nickname - "Black Adam". Destroyed on May 28, 2002 as a result of a special operation by Federal forces in the Shali region of Chechnya. During an attempt to be detained in Mesker-Yurt, he resisted and was killed during a shootout.

Rizvan AKHMADOV. Field commander, nickname "Dadu". He was a member of the so-called “Majlis-ul-Shura of the Mujahideen of the Caucasus.”

Akhmadov took command of his brother Ramzan's militant detachment in February 2001 after his liquidation. This detachment operated in Grozny, in the Grozny rural, Urus-Martan and Shalinsky districts, relying on accomplices in the ranks of the Chechen riot police operating in Grozny. On January 10, 2001, it was a group of militants subordinate to Dadu who took hostage a representative of the international organization Doctors Without Borders, Kenneth Gluck.

ABDUKHAJIEV Aslanbek. One of the leaders of Chechen militants, Shamil Basayev’s deputy for intelligence and sabotage work. Nickname - "Big Aslanbek". As part of the Basayev and Raduev gangs, he took an active part in armed attacks on the cities of Budennovsk and Kizlyar. During the reign of Maskhadov, he was the military commandant of the Shali region of Chechnya. In Basayev’s gang, he personally developed plans for sabotage and terrorist activities.

Since the day of the attack on Budennovsk, he has been on the federal wanted list.

On August 26, 2002, employees of the operational group of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Shali region and one of the SOBR detachments, together with soldiers from the military commandant’s office of the Shali region, carried out an operation in the regional center of Shali to detain a militant. When detained, he offered armed resistance and was killed.

Demiev Adlan. Leader of a gang. Involved in a series of sabotage and terrorist acts on the territory of Chechnya.

Liquidated on February 18, 2003 by federal forces of Chechnya as a result of a counter-terrorist operation carried out in the city of Argun.

After being blocked by a unit of federal forces, Demiev resisted and tried to escape in a car. However, it was destroyed by retaliatory fire from federal forces. When examining the dead man, a PM pistol, grenades, radios and a fake passport were found.

BATAEV Khamzat. A well-known field commander, considered the “commander of the Bamut direction” of the resistance of Chechen militants. He was killed in March 2000 in the village of Komsomolskoye. (This was reported by the commander of the group of internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in Chechnya, General Mikhail Lagunets).

At the current stage of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya, the main goal of the federal forces has been defined quite specifically - the destruction of the most famous and influential field commanders. Ideally, Khattab, Shamil Basayev, Aslan Maskhadov. They say that the Star of the Hero of Russia has been promised for their heads; the price for a “black Arab” is even higher. Russian special forces have not yet reached the leaders of the gangs, but they have succeeded in destroying and capturing field commanders of a lower rank - since the beginning of the “second Chechen war”, more than eighty known militants have not voluntarily stopped their active activities. There are still about thirty left. The percentage here is clearly in favor of the feds.

To many Russian citizens, most of the names of Chechen field commanders mean nothing - Sultan Patsayev, Arbi Barayev, Roll of Wallpaper. Who they are and what they are “famous for” - even more so. However, the Chechen militants themselves are seriously confused in their hierarchy and cannot decide who is in charge.

A more or less clear organization in the “armed forces” of Ichkeria existed during the first Chechen war. There was also some certainty with the “supreme” - General Dzhokhar Dudayev led the general armed resistance, and his orders were carried out quite accurately. Again, then all the Arsanov-Gelaevs were still yellow-haired youths and had no experience of war. None of them dared to contradict Dudayev. The only professional military man in the militant camp is a colonel Aslan Maskhadov(former head of the division's air defense) - was appointed chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ichkeria and planned operations against federal forces. With the death of the first Chechen president, everything changed - Zelimkhan Yandarbiev, who replaced Dzhokhar Dudayev, was a purely civilian man and soon lost control over the “army”, in which generally recognized leaders had already appeared.

Perhaps the highest post that field commanders received (and sometimes even assigned it to themselves) was the position of front commander. Same Shamil Basayev commanded the Eastern Front, and Ruslan Gelayev- Western. There were many fronts - there were also enough contenders. The parts of the world are over, the names of cities are used: Gudermes Front (Yamadayev), Urus-Martanovsky (Basnukaev) and others. The positions of commanders of directions, and then sectors, were considered no less prestigious.

With the ranks of the Chechen fighters, everything was much simpler - the most common was, and is still considered, the rank of brigadier general. As a more or less large detachment, the commander is certainly a brigadier general. Aslan Maskhadov was probably the only colonel left, but he also received three stars while still serving in the Soviet army. Once, however, I had the opportunity to communicate with a “senior lieutenant” - between two wars at the border post of the Dagestan-Chechen border. “Yeah, lieutenant,” the village teacher in the village of Pervomaiskoe later laughed. “He was a tractor driver before the war and returned from the army as a private.”

New positions and ranks fell on the militants after the signing of the Khasav-Yurt Peace Treaty. Ministries appeared like mushrooms after rain, primarily the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Defense, Sharia Security, special forces and special regiments appeared (for example, Borz No. 007, commanded by Sultan Patsayev). * * * “The Second Chechen War” is more reminiscent of a guerrilla war. There is no overall command, no clear coordination of military operations. Who is the most important commander in the militant camp today? Maskhadov? He quarreled with Basayev during the “Dagestan campaign”, and is mentioned in the trio of Khattab-Basayev-Maskhadov, who give orders to field commanders purely nominally. Behind his back, the militants call their president Ushastik and clearly do not show him respect - Maskhadov’s cat is crying for money.

It is also quite difficult to name Basayev as a sole leader, although his authority among the militants is very high. Almost all field commanders in the Vedeno and Itum-Kalinsky regions report to Basayev. He was able to occupy this position primarily due to his proximity to Khattabu, who commands all the mercenaries in Chechnya. This tandem made it possible to unite quite large forces of militants, whose number today ranges from three to five thousand people. They are armed not only with small arms, but also with armored personnel carriers, mortars, and man-portable anti-aircraft systems. Almost all high-profile terrorist acts and attacks on federal forces were carried out by Khattab-Basayev’s detachments.

Khattab’s “popularity” is largely determined by the funding that comes from abroad to Chechnya - it is the “black Arab” who distributes it. As you know, he who pays calls the tune. However, it is the money issue that often becomes a stumbling block in the militant camp - Chechen field commanders are not always happy with the “justice” of Khattab, who also became famous for the fact that a large shipment of counterfeit dollars, intended to pay for the militants’ feats of arms, passed through him. Same Arbi Baraev, killed during a recent special operation in Alkhan-Kala, preferred to act alone precisely because of the money, which he wanted to manage on his own. (According to one version, it was Khattab who “ordered” Barayev, handing over his location to Russian intelligence.)

Among the most famous leaders of the Chechen separatists, there are a dozen more names that, to some extent, influence the course of the war. All of them, by the way, are on the all-Russian wanted list and are targeted for detention by Interpol.

* Abalaev Aidamir- Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ichkeria, a supporter of Maskhadov. With a detachment of about 250 people, he is located in the village of Alleroy, Nozhai-Yurtovsky district of Chechnya.

* Arsanov Vakha- former traffic police officer. It has been fighting since 1994. In 1996 he became commander of the Northwestern Front. Vice President of Ichkeria. Commands a small detachment of militants in the center of the Argun Gorge. Does not have an influential role among field commanders. Involved in many high-profile kidnappings in Chechnya.

* Basnukaev Akhmed- Brigadier General, Commander of the Urus-Martan Front. He appeared in the story with Andrei Babitsky. Participated in the battles for Grozny.

* Gelaev Ruslan (Khamzat)- a repeat offender with three convictions. Division general, commander of the Western Front of the separatists. Gelayev moves around the border of Georgia and Ingushetia. According to operational data, it has its base in the Pankisi Gorge of Georgia. Has disagreements with Basayev and Khattab.

* Gelikhanov Sultan- former head of the State Security Department of Ichkeria. Came under the complete influence of Basayev. During the first Chechen campaign he was considered an influential field commander. Participated in negotiations with federal representatives.

* Dimaev Ali- brigadier general, one of those close to Aslan Maskhadov. Operated in the area of ​​the Chechen-Dagestan border.

* Udugov Movladi- Deputy Prime Minister of the ChRI government. The main ideologist of Chechen militants. Awarded the Order of Honor of the Nation. One of the richest people in Chechnya. According to some reports, he is hiding in Turkey.

* Khambiev Magomed- Minister of Defense of the ChRI, division general. Does not play a significant role among field commanders. In fact, he retired. Known for his “duel” with Basayev.

* Khatuev Magomed- former head of the border and customs services of Ichkeria, brigadier general. Friend of Basayev. In January 2000, he was seriously wounded in the Vedeno region of Chechnya.

* Khachukaev Khizir- brigadier general, deputy of Ruslan Gelayev. During the current campaign, he commanded the South-Eastern Defense Sector in Grozny. Demoted to private by Maskhadov for participating in negotiations with Akhmad Kadyrov and Vladimir Bokovikov in Nazran.

* Yandarbiev Zelimkhan- former vice president and acting President of the CRI after the death of Dudayev. Currently he is abroad, organizing financial assistance to militants. One of the Ichkerian millionaires.

(In total, according to MK, there are currently 32 field commanders on the federal wanted list.)* * * The last successful special operation to eliminate field commanders was carried out a few days ago in the Vedeno region, when it was possible to destroy two field commanders - Abdul Malik And Abdul Salama. However, perhaps the most successful operation was the destruction of one of the most brutal leaders of the separatists, the commander of the Islamic Special Purpose Regiment Arbi Barayeva.

The special forces of the law enforcement agencies counted 45 killed commanders of militant detachments as their assets. These were by no means ordinary members of gangs. For example, let's name just a few of them. On January 31, during an attempt to break out of the Chechen capital, the chief of the defense staff of Grozny was blown up by mines Aslambek Ismailov, mayor of Grozny Treat Dudayev and former head of the Anti-Terrorism Center, Brigadier General Hunkarpasha Israpilov. At the beginning of March, in the Argun Gorge near Ulus-Kert, one of Khattab’s deputies was killed in a battle with a company of Pskov paratroopers - Idris and field commander Apti Akhmadov. On March 27, during a special operation in the mountains of Chechnya, the commander of the South-Eastern Front of militants, Brigadier General, was killed Doku Umarov. On May 20, during a special operation by federal forces near the village of Duba-Yurt, the head of the Special Department of the Armed Forces of the ChRI, former director of the State Security Service, was killed Abu Movsaev. On July 11, a field commander was killed in the village of Mayrtup, Shali district. Abu-Umar Muhammad As-Seif. On July 23, one of Baraev’s deputies, the organizer of all the latest terrorist attacks in Grozny, was killed in Grozny. Magomet Tsagaroev. (This was shot by the son of a Chechen police officer when militants killed his father in the courtyard of the house. 15-year-old Magomet Tashukhadzhiev was awarded the Star of the Hero of Russia for this.)

Perhaps the most mysterious operation of the Russian special services after the destruction of Dzhokhar Dudayev is the capture by FSB officers in the village of Novogroznensky of Chechen terrorist No. 2 Salman Raduev. “Hero” Kizlyar and Pervomaisky were secretly taken to Moscow, and now Prosecutor General Ustinov is ready to act as his main accuser - the case is truly high-profile. However, the rest of the captured field commanders, as they say, were well known. For example, Tractor Driver - Salautdin Temirbulatov, who participated in the execution of three servicemen of the Russian army. He was tied up in the area of ​​the Duba-Yurt settlement on March 19. On May 13, a Chechen commander was captured in Ingushetia Treat Shavaev. He also took part in the first Chechen campaign in 1994-96, commanding the South-Western direction of the militants. Shavaev was involved in the kidnapping of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in Chechnya, Valentin Vlasov. On July 22, a brigadier general was detained Treat Islamova nicknamed Beard. Arrested in Chechnya on July 30 Ramzan Akhmadov- head of the Urus-Martan group of slave traders and kidnappers. On September 23, near Urus-Martan, FSB officers captured the head of the separatist General Staff, Brigadier General. Mumadi Saidayev, considered the right hand of Aslan Maskhadov. At the end of October, near Alleroy, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government and Minister of State Security of the ChRI, Brigadier General, was detained Turpal-Ali Atgeriev.

(In total, according to MK, 36 field commanders have been captured to date.)

Now federal forces in Chechnya are actively catching Khattab and Basayev, as well as the “hot thirty” authoritative field commanders who remain at large. It is believed that with their destruction, peace and tranquility will finally come to the rebellious republic, and the counter-terrorism operation can be declared completed. This idea is rather ephemeral - young “wolf cubs” take the place of killed seasoned militants. It is quite possible that soon we will have to remember new names of Chechen terrorists.

Including the leader of the bandit group Rustam Gasanov. Gasanov, born in 1981, is a native and resident of the village of Serebryakovka, Kizlyar district, also known by the call sign “Umaraskhab”. In 2003, he was convicted and served a sentence for robbery; in September 2009, he went illegal and was put on the federal wanted list. According to one version, in March 2010, Hasanov, as part of a criminal group, dealt with a teacher at a madrasah in the village of Yasnaya Polyana, Kizlyar region of Dagestan, in November 2010, he led the explosion of railway tracks near the village of Pervomaiskoye as a passenger train was passing, and later fired at a police squad that arrived to the scene of the incident.

May 20, 2012 year, in the village of Vinsovkhozny of the Republic of Dagestan, the leader of the “Khasavyurt bandit group”, the so-called amir of the northern sector, was killed Aslan Mamedov nicknamed Muas, who was on the federal wanted list.

April 19, 2012 year, three militants were killed in Dagestan, including the leader of a bandit group operating on the territory of the republic, Ramazan Saritov Born in 1983. The militants were natives of the village of Bammatyurt, Khasavyurt district. The gang is responsible, in particular, for extorting money from entrepreneurs, shootings and explosions in stores, car bombings, and attempts to kill law enforcement officers.

April 10, 2012 During two special operations in the Stavropol Territory, three militants were killed, including Eldar Bitaev, born in 1978, leader of the “Neftekumsk bandit group”. Bitaev was the direct organizer of the failed attempt to blow up the railway track in the Mineralovodsk region during the passage of an electric train in September 2010. All three were in an illegal situation, underwent appropriate training in one of the gang groups on the territory of Dagestan, and participated in gangster attacks in the Kizlyar region. In March they returned to the Stavropol Territory to carry out sabotage and terrorist activities.

March 27, 2012 year, during a special operation, the leader of the bandit underground operating in the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria was killed - Alim Zankishiev, nicknamed "Ubaida". Zankishiev has been on the federal wanted list since 2006. Since 2011, after the neutralization of the former bandit leader Dzhappuev, Zankishiev coordinated the terrorist activities of gang groups in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. Zankishiev was involved in the murders of military pilot Denis Nikolaev and investigator Kantemir Kyarov in early 2012. He also became the organizer of the assassination attempt on the head of the administration of the Urvan district of the republic, Antemirkan Kanokov.

March 18, 2012 year, in the village of Novosasitli in Dagestan, the leader of the “Novosasitlinskaya” bandit group was eliminated Nutsalkhanov Shamil and its active participant, who were involved in extorting money from entrepreneurs, attacks on law enforcement officers and organizing explosions. According to the Operational Headquarters, Nutskhanov joined the “Novosasitlinskaya” bandit group in May 2011, and then headed it.

March 12, 2012 During a special operation in Makhachkala, two militants were killed. One of them was identified as the leader of the Makhachkala sabotage and terrorist group Eldos Zulfukarov.

March 6, 2012 During a special operation in Dagestan, the leader of the “Kizilyurt bandit group” was killed Alibek Omarov, born in 1985. Omarov was on the federal wanted list and is a defendant in eight criminal cases of a terrorist nature. Involved in the shelling of the Kizilyurt Internal Affairs Directorate on March 11, 2011, and in the planting of six improvised explosive devices on the path of a military convoy on January 11, 2012, during the demining of which a Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs employee was killed and eight servicemen were injured.

March 3, 2012 year in Malgobek of the Republic of Ingushetia, the leader of the Ingushetian bandit underground was killed during a special operation Adam Tsyzdoev. The special operation was carried out after receiving information about a group of bandits preparing a terrorist act.

February 16, 2012 was liquidated during a special operation in Dagestan Magomed Kasumov, the leader of the so-called "Mutsalaul bandit group and his accomplice, involved in the murders of police officers and religious figures of the republic. Kasumov was involved in the shelling of a car with police officers in 2010. In addition, he was involved in a number of other terrorist crimes, extorting funds entrepreneurs, arson of shops.

February 14, 2012 year in Dagestan, the leader of the Dagestan bandit underground, 51 years old, was killed Ibragimkhalil Daudov, who led the gangster underground after the liquidation of Magomedali Vagabov in August 2010.

January 27, 2012 the leader of the Ingushetian bandit underground was killed in Ingushetia Dzhamaleil Mutaliev(nickname "Adam"), who was on the federal wanted list. Mutaliev joined illegal armed groups during the second Chechen campaign, was part of the close circle of Shamil Basayev. In 2010, after the detention of Ali Taziev, nicknamed "Magas", Mutaliev was appointed the so-called military amir "Caucasus Emirate" and the leader of the bandit underground of Ingushetia. The leader of the "Caucasus Emirate" Doku Umarov entrusted Mutaliev with the responsibility for carrying out the most resonant sabotage and terrorist actions. Among them, a terrorist attack on the Vladikavkaz market in September 2010 and a suicide bombing in August of the same year on the Rostov highway - Baku" in Chechnya.

December 12, 2011 near the village of Karlanyurt, Khasavyurt district, the leader of a bandit group was killed Yusup Magomedov and his accomplices. Yusup Magomedov was the leader of the so-called Khasavyurt sabotage and terrorist group.

December 7, 2011 year, in the area of ​​​​the village of Kumysh, Karachaevsky district of the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia, the leader of the militants of Karachay-Cherkessia was killed Biaslan Gochiyaev, as well as three of his accomplices. The militants were planning a series of terrorist attacks, in particular with the participation of a suicide bomber. The murdered 27-year-old Biaslan Gochiyaev was appointed the so-called Emir of Karachay-Cherkessia about a year ago.

August 10-11, 2011 year in Makhachkala, during a special operation, six bandits were killed, including one woman. One of the militants was identified as Abdulla Magomedaliev, born in 1977, nicknamed "Daoud". In 2010, Magomedaliev was appointed by Magomedali Vagabov (neutralized in August 2010) as the leader of the so-called “special battalion”, specializing in carrying out high-profile terrorist attacks against law enforcement officers and government officials. Magomedaliev was involved in extortion on an especially large scale and kidnappings for ransom.

On the night of May 3, 2011 year, in a special operation in a mountainous forested area on the border of the Shatoi and Vedeno regions of the Chechen Republic, 2 members of the bandit underground were killed. One of the killed militants was identified as a certain Salauddin, who had the call signs “Kurd” and “Abdullah Kurd.” Abdullah Kurd was an emissary of Al Qaeda; after the neutralization of Moganned, he became the main coordinator of international terrorists in the North Caucasus.

April 29, 2011 During a special operation on the border of Stavropol and Kabardino Balkaria, the leader of the republic’s gang underground, who was on the federal wanted list, was killed Asker Dzhappuev. According to intelligence services, Dzhappuev, nicknamed “Abdullah,” headed the so-called “United Vilayat of Kabarda, Balkaria and Karachay” in May 2010 after the destruction of the leader of the Kabardino-Balkaria bandit underground, Anzor Astemirov.

April 21, 2011 The main representative of Al Qaeda in the North Caucasus was killed in Chechnya Khaled Youssef Mohammed Al Emirate by nickname "Moganned", Arab by origin. According to NAC, Moganned, along with Doku Umarov, was the most famous figure among the bandits, perceived as an indisputable “religious authority” and as an influential “field commander.” The terrorist is involved in committing a number of crimes against military personnel and civilians.

On the night of April 18, 2011 year in Dagestan, four active participants in the bandit underground were killed, incl. leader of the Dagestan bandits Israpil Validzhanov(nickname Amirhasan). According to intelligence services, in October 2010, Doku Umarov appointed Validzhanov “the first person in the gangster hierarchy of Dagestan.”

March 28, 2011 year, near the village of Verkhniy Alkun, Sunzhensky district of Ingushetia, 19 militants were killed during a special operation. The militant base was destroyed as a result of a targeted airstrike by the Russian Air Force and a ground operation. After the operation, one of the leaders of the terrorist organization "Caucasus Emirate" Supyan Abdullayev was identified, who, according to operational data, was considered the main ideologist of militants in the North Caucasus.

January 27, 2011 year, during a special operation in the village of Severny near the Dagestan Khasavyurt, one of the militant leaders was killed Adam Huseynov. He was the second most important in the hierarchy of leaders of the Dagestan bandit underground after Israpil Validzhanov.

December 6, 2010 was liquidated during a clash in the Tsumadinsky region of Dagestan Akhmed Abdulkerimov nicknamed "Shatun". The killed militant was the “emir of the mountain sector,” he was involved in terrorist attacks in the republic, was actively involved in recruiting young people into the ranks of the underground gang, and organized their training. Suspected of a terrorist attack against the head of the FSB Directorate for the Tsumadinsky District, which occurred on September 2, 2010 in Dagestan.

On the night of August 25, 2010 During a shootout with law enforcement officers that occurred near the Dagestan Khasavyurt, the “emir” of the Khasavyurt region was killed Khasan Daniyalov and the “emir” of the Kazbek jamaat, Yusup Suleymanov, nicknamed “Shoip”.

August 23, 2010 year in Ingushetia, the leader of the bandit underground was killed Ilez Gardanov, involved in a number of high-profile terrorist attacks. Gardanov was the leader of the Pliev bandit group and recently headed the bandit underground on the territory of the republic and was the coordinator.

August 21, 2010 During a special operation in Dagestan, the leader of the Dagestan gang underground was killed Magomedali Vagabov. Declaring himself back in 2005 as “Emir Abdullah Gubdensky,” he was the leader of the so-called Gubden sabotage terrorist group, the second person in the hierarchy of the “Caucasus Emirate,” a “Sharia judge” appointed by Doku Umarov. According to NAC, Vagabov’s gang is involved in numerous terrorist attacks on the territory of Dagestan and beyond, including explosions in the Kizil Yurt and in the Moscow metro, which killed dozens of people.

August 12, 2010 year, law enforcement officers of Ingushetia during a special operation eliminated the deputy leader of the so-called Pliev bandit group Haruna Plieva, involved in a series of armed attacks on police officers and military personnel.

June 26, 2010 during a special operation in the Karabudakhkent region of Dagestan was destroyed Jamalutdin Javatov, leader of the Karamakhi sabotage and terrorist group. He was on the federal wanted list for terrorist crimes.

June 10, 2010 year, as a result of a special operation carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Chechnya, an Arab mercenary was killed in the Vedeno region Yasir Amarat.

March 24, 2010 year in Nalchik, in a shootout with law enforcement officers, a man identified as the leader of the Wahhabi gang underground of Kabardino Balkaria was eliminated Anzor Astemirov. Astemirov has been on the international wanted list since 2006. He was considered one of the main organizers of the attack on the Russian Federation State Drug Control Department in Kabardino Balkaria in December 2004, as well as the militant attack on Nalchik in October 2005.

March 22, 2010 year in Makhachkala (Dagestan), security forces liquidated the so-called “Emir of Grozny” Salambek (Magomed) Akhmadov.

March 17-18, 2010 During a special operation in the Vedeno region of Chechnya, six militants were killed, including one of the most famous terrorist leaders. Abu Khaled. An Arab by nationality, Abu Khaled, according to operational data, arrived in the Chechen Republic 13 years earlier. He was engaged in technical and psychological training of terrorists.

One of the militant leaders in the North Caucasus Alexander Tikhomirov, also known as Said Buryatsky, was destroyed March 2, 2010 year as a result of a special operation carried out by employees of the Special Purpose Center of the FSB of Russia in the village of Ekazhevo, Nazran district of Ingushetia. Investigators believe that Tikhomirov, who is called the main ideologist of militants in the south of Russia, was the organizer of a number of major terrorist actions, including an attack on the building of the police department in Nazran, which killed dozens of police officers, an attempt on the life of the President of Ingushetia Yunus Bek Evkurov, and an explosion "Nevsky Express" in November 2009.

In the evening February 2, 2010 year, one of the founders of the Al Qaeda network in the North Caucasus, a native of Egypt, was killed in the mountains of Dagestan Mohmad Mohamad Shabaan nicknamed "Safe Islam". "Saif Islam" was on the international wanted list at the request of the Egyptian authorities for carrying out terrorist activities.

January 10, 2010 in the capital of Dagestan, the leader of the Makhachkala Shamkhal sabotage terrorist group was eliminated Madrid Begov. A day earlier, in the vicinity of Makhachkala on the Makhachkala-Khasavyurt highway, an operation was carried out to kill three militants, among whom was the “emir” of Makhachkala Marat Kurbanov.

December 31, 2009 year, police killed four militants in the city of Khasavyurt, including the leader of the Dagestan bandit underground Umalata Magomedova nicknamed "Albaro".

December 18, 2009 President of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov announced that a well-known militant leader had been killed during a special operation. Aslan Izrailov by nickname Sawab, who for a long time was the leader of the remnants of gang groups in several settlements at the junction of the Vedensky and Nozhai Yurt districts of Chechnya.

the 13th of November During a special operation in the vicinity of Shalazhi, up to 20 militants were killed, among them a close associate of Doku Umarov Islam Uspakhadzhiev, who has been on the federal wanted list since 2004 for the murder of law enforcement officers and terrorist acts. The liquidation of Umarov himself was reported several times during 2009. However, this information was never officially confirmed.

October 31, 2009 year, during a special operation in Grozny, the leader of a bandit group, close to one of the separatist leaders Dok Umarov, the so-called emir of the lowland part of Chechnya, who had the call sign "Iban".

October 22, 2009 year, police, as a result of a special operation, killed the so-called emir of the city of Gudermes in Grozny Said Emi Khizrieva, who, according to operational data, was planning to carry out a terrorist attack against the President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov.

September 19, 2009 In 2018, employees of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan killed three militants in the Kizlyar region of Dagestan, among those killed was one of the leaders of the gang underground. Abdulla Saadullaev, known among militants as Sharia judge Daoud. He was the right hand of the so-called “emir” of Dagestan Umalat Magomedov.

12-th of September The leader of the Makhachkala sabotage terrorist group was killed Bagautdin Kamalutdinov. He was also the nephew of the ideologist of Dagestani extremists Bagautdin Magomedov, who has been on the federal and international wanted list since 1999.

September 5, 2009 during a special operation in the Ingush village of Barsuki was destroyed Rustam Dzortov, who was the leader of the entire gang underground in the republic and was one of the organizers of the assassination attempt on the President of Ingushetia Yunus Bek Evkurov. Dzortov was known by the nickname Abdul Aziz and was on the All-Russian wanted list.

August 30, 2009 During a special operation in the Khasavyurt region of Dagestan, a foreign mercenary was killed, who turned out to be the coordinator of the international terrorist network Al Qaeda in Dagestan, known among militants as Dr. Muhammad.

July 25, 2009 During a special operation in Chechnya, the head of a bandit group was killed Isa Izerkhanov, also known as "Isa Black". Izerkhanov was on the federal wanted list for participation in terrorist activities and escaping from prison.

July 11, 2009 the leader of the bandits was killed during a special operation Azamat Makhauri nicknamed "Yasir", who called himself the Emir of Ingushetia. Three more gang members were killed along with him.

June 12, 2009 the leader of the "Makhachkala jamaat" was killed in Makhachkala Omar Ramazanov.

September 18, 2007 year, as a result of a counter-terrorist operation in the village of New Sulak, “Emir Rabbani” was killed - Rappani Khalilov.

April 4, 2007 year, in the vicinity of the village of Agish, one of the most influential militant leaders, the commander of the Eastern Front of the Chechen Republic of Chechnya, was killed by Batoy in the Vedeno district of Chechnya. Suleiman Ilmurzaev, involved in the murder of Chechen President Akhmat Kadyrov.

November 26, 2006 the leader of foreign mercenaries in Chechnya was killed in Khasavyurt Abu Hafs al Urdani, who, according to intelligence services, was the de facto leader and one of the financiers of militants in Chechnya and adjacent regions.

July 10, 2006 year in Ingushetia, a terrorist was killed as a result of a special operation Shamil Basayev.

June 17, 2006 Maskhadov's successor was killed in Argun Abdul Halim Sadulayev.

March 8, 2005 During a special operation by the FSB in the village of Tolstoy Yurt, the president of the Chechen Republic of Ichristia was eliminated Aslan Maskhadov.

February 16, 2005 during a special operation in Ingushetia, a field commander was killed Abu Zeit- a native of Kuwait who was involved in coordinating terrorist activities in the North Caucasus.

September 17, 2004 year, a native of Algeria was detained in Chechnya Kamal Burakhlya, known among militants under the nickname "Abu Mushab". According to the FSB, Buryakhlya was a bomber in Basayev’s gang.

April 16, 2004 During the shelling of the mountains of Chechnya, the leader of foreign mercenaries in Chechnya was killed Abu al Walid al Ghamidi.

February 28, 2004 During a shootout with border guards, a well-known field commander was fatally wounded Ruslan Gelayev.

November 3, 2000 An influential field commander was killed during a special operation Shamil Iriskhanov, who was part of Basayev’s inner circle.

August 25, 2000 year in the city of Argun, during a special operation by FSB officers, a field commander was killed Movsan Suleimenov, nephew of Arbi Barayev.

July 11, 2000 year in the village of Mayrup, Shalinsky district of Chechnya, during a special operation of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Khattab’s assistant was killed Abu Umar.

June 23-24, 2000 year in the village of Alkhan Kala, a special joint detachment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB conducted a special operation to eliminate a detachment of militants of a field commander Arbi Barayeva. 16 militants were killed, including Barayev himself.

May 19, 2000 Deputy Minister of Sharia Security of the ChRI was killed Abu Movsaev.

January 27, 2000 During the battle for Grozny, a field commander was killed Isa Astamirov, deputy commander of the southwestern front of the militants.

The first great success in decapitating Chechen separatism after the murder of Dzhokhar Dudayev was the capture of terrorist No. 2 Salman Raduev, who was arrested by FSB representatives on the territory of Chechnya in March 2000. Raduev became widely known in 1996, after on January 9, under his leadership, militants attacked the Dagestan city of Kizlyar. True, the “laurels of fame” in Kizlyar went to Raduev “by accident.” At the last stage, he replaced the wounded field commander Khunkarpasha Israpilov, who was the leader of the operation.

The capture of Raduev was carried out masterfully by counterintelligence officers and in such a top-secrecy regime that the bandit “did not expect anything and was shocked,” said FSB director Nikolai Patrushev. According to some reports, Raduev was “tied up” the moment he left his shelter “out of need.” There is a version that Raduev was betrayed by an agent who promised to sell him a large batch of weapons cheaply.

On December 25, 2001, the Supreme Court of Dagestan found Raduev guilty of all charges except “organizing illegal armed groups.” The demands of the state prosecutor, Vladimir Ustinov, were fulfilled, and Salman Raduev was sentenced to life imprisonment. Raduev served his sentence in the Solikamsk penitentiary, in the famous White Swan colony.

In December 2002, Raduev began to complain about his health. On December 6, he developed bruising under his left eye and abdominal pain. A few days later, Raduev became worse, and on December 10, GUIN doctors decided to place him in a prison hospital in a separate ward. Raduev was in the hospital and died on December 14 at 5.30 am. The forensic medical report on death states the following: “DIC syndrome, multiple hemorrhages, retroperitoneal hematoma, hemorrhage in the brain and left eye.”

Raduev's body was buried in the general Solikamsk cemetery.

In April 2002, it became known that the field commander Khattab, who was known as an ideologist and organizer of terrorist activities, was killed in Chechnya. He was liquidated as a result of an “undercover combat operation” by the FSB back in March 2002. The top-secret operation to destroy Khattab was prepared for almost a year. According to the FSB, Khattab was poisoned by one of his confidants. The death of the terrorist was one of the most serious blows for the militants, since after the liquidation of Khattab the entire system of financing gangs in Chechnya was disrupted.

In June 2001, in Chechnya, as a result of a special operation, the leader of one of the most combat-ready units of Chechen militants, Arbi Barayev, was killed. Along with him, 17 people from his inner circle were destroyed. A large number of militants were captured. Barayev was identified by his relatives. The special operation was carried out in the area of ​​Baraev’s native village of Ermolovka for six days - from June 19 to 24. During the operation, which was carried out by the regional operational headquarters with the involvement of special forces of the FSB and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, in particular the Vityaz group, one Russian serviceman was killed and six were injured. After Barayev was mortally wounded, the militants carried his body into one of the houses and covered it with bricks in the hope that the federal forces would not find him. However, with the help of a search dog, Barayev's body was discovered.

In November 2003, FSB representatives officially admitted that one of the leaders of the Chechen militants, the Arab terrorist Abu al-Walid, was killed on April 14. According to intelligence services, on April 13, information appeared about a detachment of militants who, together with several Arab mercenaries, stopped in the forest between Ishkha-Yurt and Alleroy. This area was immediately attacked from helicopters, and special forces shot at the bandits’ camp using grenade launchers and flamethrowers. On April 17, soldiers combed the area between Ishkhoy-Yurt and Meskety, and about 3-4 kilometers from these villages in the forest they found six killed militants. They were all able to be identified - they turned out to be Chechens. A kilometer from those six corpses they found a dead Arab. With him, in particular, they found a map of the area made from a satellite and a satellite navigator for moving around the area. The body was badly burned. In April, al-Walid's body could not be identified. The intelligence services did not have the terrorist’s fingerprints, his relatives did not respond to investigators’ requests, and the detained militants who met him could not say with certainty that the body was his. All doubts disappeared only in November.

On February 13, 2004, Zelimkhan Yandarbiev, whom Chechen separatists declared the president of Ichkeria after the death of Dzhokhar Dudayev, was killed in Qatar. Yandarbiev's car was blown up in the Qatari capital Doha. In this case, two people from his escort died. The separatist leader himself was seriously injured and died some time later in the hospital. Yandarbiev has lived in Qatar for the past three years and has been on the international wanted list all this time as the organizer of the attack on Dagestan. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office demanded his extradition from Qatar.

The Qatari special services immediately started talking about a Russian trace in the murder of Yandarbiev, and already on February 19, three employees of the Russian embassy were arrested on suspicion of committing a terrorist attack. One of them, who is the first secretary of the embassy and has diplomatic status, was released and expelled from the country, while the other two were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Qatari court, and the court concluded that the order to liquidate Yandarbiev was given by top officials of the Russian leadership. Moscow denied the accusations in every possible way, and Russian diplomats did everything possible to take the unlucky bombers home as soon as possible.

They were sentenced to life imprisonment, which under Qatari law means a 25-year prison term, which can later be reduced to 10 years. A month after the trial, an agreement was reached that the convicted Russians would be taken to their homeland, where they would serve their sentences. The return of Russian intelligence officers actually took place; Anatoly Yablochkov and Vasily Pugachev flew to Russia on a special flight of the Rossiya State Transport Company in December 2004.

In March 2004, it became known about the death of an equally odious militant leader, Ruslan Gelayev, who in May 2002 was again appointed by Aslan Maskhadov as commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ichkeria and restored to the rank of “brigadier general.” True, he was killed not as a result of a special operation by the special services, but in a banal shootout with border guards. Gelayev was killed by a border guard consisting of only two people in the mountains of Dagestan on the Avaro-Kakheti road leading to Georgia. At the same time, the border guards themselves were killed in the shootout. The field commander's corpse was found in the snow a hundred meters from the bodies of the border guards. This happened, apparently, on Sunday (February 28, 2004). A day later, Gelayev’s body was taken to Makhachkala and identified by previously arrested militants.

Thus, only one “odious militant” remains alive among the major Chechen leaders - Shamil Basayev.

Alexander Alyabyev