Second Russian-Chechen war years. The war in Chechnya: history, beginning and results

Causes: On September 6, 1991, an armed coup was carried out in Chechnya - the Supreme Council of the Chechen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was dispersed by armed supporters of the Executive Committee of the National Congress of the Chechen People. The pretext was that on August 19, 1991, the party leadership in Grozny, unlike the Russian leadership, supported the actions of the State Emergency Committee.

With the consent of the leadership of the Russian parliament, a Provisional Supreme Council was created from a small group of deputies of the Supreme Council of the Chechen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and representatives of the OKCHN, which was recognized by the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation as the highest authority on the territory of the republic. However, less than 3 weeks later, OKCHN dissolved it and announced that it was taking full power upon itself.

On October 1, 1991, by decision of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, the Chechen-Ingush Republic was divided into the Chechen and Ingush Republics (without defining borders).

At the same time, parliamentary elections of the Chechen Republic were held. According to many experts, all this was just a staging (10 - 12% of voters took part, voting took place only in 6 of the 14 districts of the Chechen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). In some areas, the number of voters exceeded the number of registered voters. At the same time, the OKCHN executive committee announced a general mobilization of men aged 15 to 65 years and brought its National Guard to full combat readiness.

The Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR officially declared the non-recognition of these elections, since they were held in violation of the current legislation.

With his first decree on November 1, 1991, Dudayev proclaimed the independence of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (CRI) from the RSFSR, which was not recognized by either the Russian authorities or any foreign states.

Consequences

On December 1, 1994, a decree of the President of the Russian Federation “On some measures to strengthen law and order in the North Caucasus” was issued, which ordered all persons illegally possessing weapons to voluntarily surrender them to Russian law enforcement agencies by December 15.

On December 11, 1994, on the basis of the decree of Russian President Boris Yeltsin “On measures to suppress the activities of illegal armed groups on the territory of the Chechen Republic,” units of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs entered the territory of Chechnya.

On August 16, 1996, Zelimkhan Yandarbiev and Alexander Lebed in the village of Novye Atagi announced the creation of a supervisory commission to monitor compliance with the ceasefire conditions, as well as a supervisory council, which was to include the secretaries of the Security Councils of Dagestan, Ingushetia and Kabardino-Balkaria.

On August 31, 1996, the Khasavyurt Agreements were concluded between the Russian Federation and the ChRI, according to which the decision on the status of the ChRI was postponed until 2001. It was also planned to exchange prisoners on the principle of “all for all,” about which human rights activists discretely said that “this condition was not observed by the Chechens.”

In 1997, Aslan Maskhadov was elected president of the ChRI.

2nd company:

It started in 1999 and actually lasted until 2009. The most active combat phase occurred in 1999-2000

RESULTS

Despite the official cancellation of the counter-terrorism operation, the situation in the region has not become calmer, quite the opposite. Militants waging guerrilla warfare have become more active, and incidents of terrorist acts have become more frequent. Beginning in the fall of 2009, a number of major special operations were carried out to eliminate gangs and militant leaders. In response, a series of terrorist attacks were carried out, including, for the first time in a long time, in Moscow. Military clashes, terrorist attacks and police operations occur not only on the territory of Chechnya, but also on the territory of Ingushetia, Dagestan, and Kabardino-Balkaria. In certain territories, the CTO regime was repeatedly temporarily introduced.

Some analysts believed that the escalation could develop into a “third Chechen war.”

In September 2009, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Rashid Nurgaliev, stated that more than 700 militants were neutralized in the North Caucasus in 2009. . The head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, said that almost 800 militants and their accomplices were detained in the North Caucasus in 2009.

Artillery and aviation are periodically involved in participation in operations.

Culture of the USSR at the turn of the 1980s-1990s.

Culture and perestroika. At the turn of the 80-90s, changes occurred in government policy in the spiritual life of society. This was expressed, in particular, in the refusal of cultural management bodies to administer administrative methods of managing literature, art, and science. The arena for heated public debate was the periodical press - the newspapers "Moscow News", "Arguments and Facts", the magazine "Ogonyok". The authors of the published articles attempted to understand the causes of the “deformations” of socialism and determine their attitude to the perestroika processes. The publication of previously unknown facts of Russian history in the post-October period caused polarization of public opinion. A significant part of the liberal-minded intelligentsia actively supported the reform course of M. S. Gorbachev. But many groups of the population, including specialists and scientists, saw the ongoing reforms as “betrayal” to the cause of socialism and actively opposed them. Different attitudes towards the transformations taking place in the country led to conflicts in the governing bodies of creative associations of the intelligentsia. At the end of the 80s, several Moscow writers formed an alternative committee to the Union of Writers of the USSR, “Writers in Support of Perestroika” (“April”). An identical association was formed by Leningrad writers (“Commonwealth”). The creation and activities of these groups led to a split in the USSR Writers' Union. The Union of Spiritual Revival of Russia, created on the initiative of scientists and writers, declared support for the democratic transformations taking place in the country. At the same time, some representatives of the intelligentsia negatively greeted the course of perestroika. The views of this part of the intelligentsia were reflected in the article by N. Andreeva, a teacher at one of the universities, “I Can’t Give Up Principles,” published in March 1988 in the newspaper “Soviet Russia.” The beginning of “perestroika” gave rise to a powerful movement for the liberation of culture from ideological pressure.

The desire for a philosophical understanding of the past affected the art of cinema (T. Abuladze’s film “Repentance”). Numerous studio theaters emerged. New theater groups tried to find their way in art. Exhibitions of artists little known to a wide circle of viewers of the 80s were organized - P. N. Filonov, V. V. Kandinsky, D. P. Shterenberg. With the collapse of the USSR, all-Union organizations of the creative intelligentsia ceased their activities. The results of perestroika for Russian culture turned out to be complex and ambiguous. Cultural life has become richer and more diverse. At the same time, the perestroika processes resulted in significant losses for science and the education system. Market relations began to penetrate into the sphere of literature and art.

Ticket No. 6

Relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union at the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century.

On June 25, 1988, an agreement on trade and cooperation between the EEC and the USSR was signed, and on June 24, 1994, a bilateral agreement on partnership and cooperation between the European Union and Russia (came into force on December 1, 1997). The first meeting of the EU-Russia Cooperation Council took place in London on January 27, 1998.

In 1999-2001 The European Parliament adopted a series of critical resolutions on the situation in Chechnya.

The first Chechen war of 1994-1996: briefly about the causes, events and results. The Chechen wars claimed many lives.

But what initially caused the conflict? What happened in those years in the troubled southern regions?

Causes of the Chechen conflict

After the collapse of the USSR, General Dudayev came to power in Chechnya. Large reserves of weapons and property of the Soviet state ended up in his hands.

The general's main goal was the creation of an independent republic of Ichkeria. The means used to achieve this goal were not entirely loyal.

The regime established by Dudayev was declared illegal by the federal authorities. Therefore, they considered it their duty to intervene. The struggle for spheres of influence became the main cause of the conflict.

Other reasons stemming from the main one:

Chechnya's desire to secede from Russia;
Dudayev's desire to create a separate Islamic state;
Chechen dissatisfaction with the invasion of Russian troops;
The source of income for the new government was the slave trade, trade in drugs and oil from the Russian pipeline passing through Chechnya.

The government sought to regain power over the Caucasus and restore lost control.

Chronicle of the first Chechen war

The first Chechen campaign began on December 11, 1994. It lasted almost 2 years.

It was a confrontation between federal troops and the forces of an unrecognized state.

December 11, 1994 - entry of Russian troops. The Russian army advanced from 3 sides. The very next day, one of the groups approached settlements located near Grozny.
December 31, 1994 – storming of Grozny. The fighting began a few hours before the New Year. But at first luck was not on the side of the Russians. The first assault failed. There were many reasons: poor preparedness of the Russian army, uncoordinated actions, lack of coordination, the presence of old maps and photographs of the city. But attempts to take the city continued. Grozny came under full Russian control only on March 6.
Events from April 1995 to 1996 After the capture of Grozny, it was gradually possible to establish control over most of the lowland territories. In mid-June 1995, a decision was made to postpone hostilities. However, it was violated many times. At the end of 1995, elections were held in Chechnya, which were won by a protege from Moscow. In 1996, the Chechens attempted to attack Grozny. All attacks were repelled.
April 21, 1996 – death of the separatist leader Dudayev.
On June 1, 1996, a truce was declared. According to the conditions, there should have been an exchange of prisoners, the disarmament of militants and the withdrawal of Russian troops. But no one wanted to give in, and fighting began again.
August 1996 – Chechen operation “Jihad”, during which the Chechens took Grozny and other significant cities. The Russian authorities decide to conclude a truce and withdraw troops. The first Chechen war ended on August 31, 1996.

Consequences of the first Chechen campaign

Brief results of the war:

Following the results of the first Chechen war, Chechnya remained independent, but no one still recognized it as a separate state.
Many cities and settlements were destroyed.
Earning income through criminal means has begun to occupy a significant place.
Almost the entire civilian population fled their homes.

There was also a rise in Wahhabism.

Table “Losses in the Chechen War”

It is impossible to name the exact number of losses in the first Chechen war. Opinions, assumptions and calculations vary.

The approximate losses of the parties look like this:

In the “Federal Forces” column, the first figure is the calculations immediately after the war, the second is the data contained in the book on the wars of the 20th century, published in 2001.

Heroes of Russia in the Chechen war

According to official data, 175 soldiers who fought in Chechnya received the title of Hero of Russia.

Most military personnel who took part in hostilities received their rank posthumously.

The most famous heroes of the first Russian-Chechen war and their exploits:

Victor Ponomarev. During the battles in Grozny, he covered the sergeant with himself, which saved his life.
Igor Akhpashev. In Grozny, he neutralized the main firing points of Chechen thugs with a tank. After which he was surrounded. The militants blew up the tank, but Akhpashev fought in the burning car until the last. Then detonation occurred and the hero died.
Andrey Dneprovsky. In the spring of 1995, Dneprovsky’s unit defeated the Chechen militants who were at the height of the fortification. Andrei Dneprovsky was the only one killed in the ensuing battle. All the other soldiers of this unit survived all the horrors of the war and returned home.

Federal troops did not achieve the goals set in the first war. This became one of the reasons for the second Chechen war.

Combat veterans believe that the first war could have been avoided. Opinions differ about which side started the war. Is it true that there was a possibility of a peaceful resolution of the situation? Here the assumptions are also different.




	Chechnya, then the entire North Caucasus
	Invasion of militants in Dagestan, explosions of residential buildings
	Victory of the federal troops: 1 - Restoration of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation 2 - Actual liquidation of the ChRI 3 - Militants switched to insurgency
Opponents
Russian Federation	Islamic State of Dagestan
	Caucasus Emirate
	Foreign fighters
	Al Qaeda
Commanders
Boris Yeltsin	Aslan Maskhadov †
Vladimir Putin	Abdul-Halim Saidulaev †
	Doku Umarov (wanted)
Victor Kazantsev	Ruslan Gelayev †
Gennady Troshev	Shamil Basaev †
Vladimir Shamanov	Vakha Arsanov †
Alexander Baranov	Arbi Baraev †
Valentin Korabelnikov	Movsar Baraev †
Anatoly Kvashnin	Abdul-Malik Mezhidov †
Vladimir Moltenskoy	Suleiman Elmurzaev †
Akhmad Kadyrov †	Hunkar-Pasha Israpilov †
Ramzan Kadyrov	Salman Raduev †
Dzhabrail Yamadayev †	Rappani Khalilov †
Sulim Yamadayev †	Aslambek Abdulkhadzhiev †
Said-Magomed Kakiev	Aslanbek Ismailov †
	Vakha Dzhenaraliev†
	Akhmed Evloev
	Khattab †
	Abu al-Walid †
	Abu Hafs al-Urdani †
Strengths of the parties
80,000 military personnel	22,000 fighters

More than 6,000 dead	More than 20,000 killed

(officially called counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus (WHO) - a common name for military operations on the territory of Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus. It began on September 30, 1999 (the date of entry of the Russian Armed Forces into Chechnya). The active phase of hostilities lasted from 1999 to 2000, then, as the Russian Armed Forces established control over the territory of Chechnya, it developed into a smoldering conflict, which actually continues to this day. From 0 o'clock on April 16, 2009, the CTO regime was cancelled.

Background

After the signing of the Khasavyurt agreements and the withdrawal of Russian troops in 1996, there was no peace and tranquility in Chechnya and the surrounding regions.

Chechen criminal structures made a business out of mass kidnappings with impunity. Hostage-taking for ransom regularly occurred - both of official Russian representatives and foreign citizens working in Chechnya - journalists, humanitarian workers, religious missionaries and even people coming to the funerals of relatives. In particular, in the Nadterechny region in November 1997, two Ukrainian citizens who came to attend their mother’s funeral were captured; in 1998, in the neighboring republics of the North Caucasus, Turkish builders and businessmen were regularly kidnapped and taken to Chechnya; in January 1998, in Vladikavkaz / North Ossetia / French citizen and representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Vincent Costel was kidnapped. He was released in Chechnya 11 months later; on October 3, 1998, four employees of the British company Granger Telecom were kidnapped in Grozny, and in December they were brutally murdered and beheaded). The bandits profited from the theft of oil from oil pipelines and oil wells, the production and smuggling of drugs, the issuance and distribution of counterfeit banknotes, terrorist attacks and attacks on neighboring Russian regions. Camps were created on the territory of Chechnya to train militants - young people from Muslim regions of Russia. Mine demolition instructors and Islamic preachers were sent here from abroad. Numerous Arab volunteers began to play a significant role in the life of Chechnya. Their main goal was to destabilize the situation in the Russian regions neighboring Chechnya and spread the ideas of separatism to the North Caucasian republics (primarily Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria).

At the beginning of March 1999, Gennady Shpigun, plenipotentiary representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Chechnya, was kidnapped by terrorists at the Grozny airport. For the Russian leadership, this was evidence that the President of the Chechen Republic, Maskhadov, was unable to independently fight terrorism. The federal center took measures to strengthen the fight against Chechen gangs: self-defense units were armed and police units were strengthened throughout the entire perimeter of Chechnya, the best operatives of units fighting ethnic organized crime were sent to the North Caucasus, several Tochka-U missile launchers were deployed from the Stavropol region ", intended for delivering targeted strikes. An economic blockade of Chechnya was introduced, which led to the fact that the cash flow from Russia began to dry up sharply. Due to the tightening of the regime at the border, it has become increasingly difficult to smuggle drugs into Russia and take hostages. Gasoline produced in clandestine factories has become impossible to export outside Chechnya. The fight against Chechen criminal groups that actively financed militants in Chechnya was also intensified. In May-July 1999, the Chechen-Dagestan border turned into a militarized zone. As a result, the income of Chechen warlords fell sharply and they had problems purchasing weapons and paying mercenaries. In April 1999, Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov, who successfully led a number of operations during the First Chechen War, was appointed commander-in-chief of the internal troops. In May 1999, Russian helicopters launched a missile attack on the positions of Khattab militants on the Terek River in response to an attempt by gangs to seize an outpost of internal troops on the Chechen-Dagestan border. After this, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vladimir Rushailo, announced the preparation of large-scale preventive strikes.

Meanwhile, Chechen gangs under the command of Shamil Basayev and Khattab were preparing for an armed invasion of Dagestan. From April to August 1999, conducting reconnaissance in force, they made more than 30 forays in Stavropol and Dagestan alone, as a result of which several dozen military personnel, law enforcement officers and civilians were killed and injured. Realizing that the strongest groups of federal troops were concentrated in the Kizlyar and Khasavyurt directions, the militants decided to strike at the mountainous part of Dagestan. When choosing this direction, the bandits proceeded from the fact that there were no troops there, and it would not be possible to transfer forces to this inaccessible area in the shortest possible time. In addition, the militants were counting on a possible attack in the rear of federal forces from the Kadar zone of Dagestan, controlled by local Wahhabis since August 1998.

As researchers note, the destabilization of the situation in the North Caucasus was beneficial to many. First of all, Islamic fundamentalists seeking to spread their influence throughout the world, as well as Arab oil sheikhs and financial oligarchs of the Persian Gulf countries, who are not interested in starting to exploit the oil and gas fields of the Caspian Sea.

On August 7, 1999, a massive invasion of Dagestan by militants was carried out from the territory of Chechnya under the overall command of Shamil Basayev and the Arab field commander Khattab. The core of the militant group consisted of foreign mercenaries and fighters of the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade, associated with Al-Qaeda. The militants' plan to have the population of Dagestan come over to their side failed; the Dagestanis offered desperate resistance to the invading bandits. The Russian authorities proposed that the Ichkerian leadership conduct a joint operation with federal forces against Islamists in Dagestan. It was also proposed to “resolve the issue of liquidating bases, storage and rest areas of illegal armed groups, which the Chechen leadership in every possible way denies.” Aslan Maskhadov verbally condemned the attacks on Dagestan and their organizers and instigators, but did not take real measures to counter them.

Fighting between federal forces and invading militants continued for more than a month, ending with the militants being forced to retreat from the territory of Dagestan back to Chechnya. On these same days - September 4-16 - a series of terrorist attacks - explosions of residential buildings - were carried out in several Russian cities (Moscow, Volgodonsk and Buinaksk).

Considering Maskhadov’s inability to control the situation in Chechnya, the Russian leadership decided to conduct a military operation to destroy the militants on the territory of Chechnya. On September 18, the borders of Chechnya were blocked by Russian troops.

On September 23, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree “On measures to increase the effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation.” The decree provided for the creation of a Joint Group of Forces in the North Caucasus to conduct a counter-terrorism operation.

On September 23, Russian troops began massive bombing of Grozny and its environs, and on September 30 they entered the territory of Chechnya.

Character

Having broken the resistance of militants using army units and internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (the command of Russian troops successfully uses military tricks, such as luring militants to minefields, raids behind enemy lines and many others), the Kremlin relied on the “Chechenization” of the conflict and luring on their side were parts of the elite and former members of the Chechen armed forces. Thus, in 2000, the former supporter of the separatists, the chief mufti of Chechnya, Akhmat Kadyrov, became the head of the pro-Kremlin administration of Chechnya in 2000. The militants, on the contrary, relied on the internationalization of the conflict, involving armed groups of non-Chechen origin in their struggle. By the beginning of 2005, after the destruction of Maskhadov, Khattab, Barayev, Abu al-Walid and many other field commanders, the intensity of sabotage and terrorist activities of the militants decreased significantly. During 2005-2008, not a single major terrorist attack was committed in Russia, and the only large-scale militant operation (Raid on Kabardino-Balkaria on October 13, 2005) ended in complete failure. However, since 2010, several major terrorist attacks have been recorded, the Terrorist Act in Vladikavkaz (2010), the Terrorist Act at Domodedovo Airport).

KGB General Philip Bobkov in 2005 gave the following characterization of the actions of the Chechen resistance: “These operations are not much different from the military operations of the Israelis before the creation of their state in Palestine, and then Palestinian extremists in Israel or now Albanian armed forces in Kosovo.”

Chronology

1999

Aggravation of the situation on the border with Chechnya

Attack on Dagestan

August 1 - Armed detachments from the villages of Echeda, Gakko, Gigatl and Agvali in the Tsumadinsky region of Dagestan, as well as the Chechens supporting them, announced that Sharia rule was being introduced in the region.
August 2 - In the area of the village of Echeda in the high-mountainous Tsumadinsky region of Dagestan, a military clash occurred between police officers and Wahhabis. Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Dagestan Magomed Omarov flew to the scene of the incident. As a result of the incident, 1 riot policeman and several Wahhabis were killed. According to the local police department, the incident was provoked by Chechnya.
August 3 - As a result of shootouts in the Tsumadinsky region of Dagestan with Islamic extremists who broke through from Chechnya, two more Dagestan police officers and one serviceman of the Russian internal troops were killed. Thus, the losses of the Dagestan police reached four people killed, in addition, two policemen were wounded and three more were missing. Meanwhile, one of the leaders of the Congress of the Peoples of Ichkeria and Dagestan, Shamil Basayev, announced the creation of an Islamic Shura, which has its own armed units in Dagestan, which established control over several settlements in the Tsumadinsky region. The Dagestan leadership is asking the federal authorities for weapons for self-defense units that are planned to be created on the border of Chechnya and Dagestan. This decision was made by the State Council of the People's Assembly and the Government of the Republic. The official authorities of Dagestan qualified the incursions of militants as: “an open armed aggression of extremist forces against the Republic of Dagestan, an open encroachment on the territorial integrity and the foundations of its constitutional system, the life and safety of its inhabitants.”
August 4 - Up to 500 militants driven back from the regional center of Agvali dug in at previously prepared positions in one of the mountain villages, but did not put forward any demands and did not enter into negotiations. Presumably they have three employees of the Tsumadinsky regional department of internal affairs who disappeared on August 3. The security ministers and ministries of Chechnya have been transferred to round-the-clock operation. This was done in accordance with the decree of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. True, the Chechen authorities deny the connection of these measures with the fighting in Dagestan. At 12.10 Moscow time, on one of the roads in the Botlikh district of Dagestan, five armed people opened fire on a police squad who tried to stop a Niva car for inspection. In the shootout, two bandits were killed and a car was damaged. There were no casualties among the security forces. Two Russian attack aircraft launched a powerful missile and bomb attack on the village of Kenkhi, where a large detachment of militants was prepared to be sent to Dagestan. A regrouping of the forces of the internal troops of the Operational Group in the North Caucasus has begun to block the border with Chechnya. It is planned to deploy additional units of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the Tsumadinsky and Botlikhsky regions of Dagestan.
August 5 - In the morning, the redeployment of units of the 102nd brigade of internal troops began in the Tsumadinsky district according to the plan for blocking the administrative Dagestan-Chechen border. This decision was made by the commander of the internal troops, Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov, during a trip to the sites of recent military operations. Meanwhile, sources in the Russian special services said that a rebellion was being prepared in Dagestan. According to the plan, a group of 600 militants was transferred to Dagestan through the village of Kenkhi. According to the same plan, the city of Makhachkala will be divided into zones of responsibility of field commanders, as well as the taking of hostages in the most crowded places, after which the official authorities of Dagestan will be asked to resign. However, the official authorities of Makhachkala deny this information.
August 7 - September 14 - from the territory of the ChRI, detachments of field commanders Shamil Basayev and Khattab invaded the territory of Dagestan. Fierce fighting continued for more than a month. The official government of the ChRI, unable to control the actions of various armed groups on the territory of Chechnya, dissociated itself from the actions of Shamil Basayev, but did not take practical action against him.
August 12 - Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation I. Zubov reported that a letter was sent to the President of the Chechen Republic of Igor Maskhadov with a proposal to conduct a joint operation with federal troops against Islamists in Dagestan.
August 13 - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that “strikes will be carried out on bases and concentrations of militants regardless of their location, including on the territory of Chechnya.”
August 16 - CRI President Aslan Maskhadov introduced martial law in Chechnya for a period of 30 days, announced the partial mobilization of reservists and participants in the First Chechen War.

Aerial bombing of Chechnya

August 25 - Russian aircraft strike militant bases in the Vedeno Gorge in Chechnya. In response to the official protest from the ChRI, the command of the federal forces declares that they “reserve the right to strike militant bases in the territory of any North Caucasus region, including Chechnya.”
September 6 - 18 - Russian aviation carries out numerous missile and bomb attacks on military camps and militant fortifications in Chechnya.
September 11 - Maskhadov announced general mobilization in Chechnya.
September 14 - Putin said that “the Khasavyurt agreements should be subjected to an impartial analysis”, as well as “a strict quarantine should be temporarily introduced” along the entire perimeter of Chechnya.
September 18 - Russian troops block the border of Chechnya from Dagestan, Stavropol Territory, North Ossetia and Ingushetia.
September 23 - Russian aircraft began bombing the capital of Chechnya and its environs. As a result, several electrical substations, a number of oil and gas complex factories, the Grozny mobile communications center, a television and radio broadcasting center, and an An-2 aircraft were destroyed. The press service of the Russian Air Force stated that “aircraft will continue to strike targets that gangs can use in their interests.”
September 27 - Chairman of the Russian Government V. Putin categorically rejected the possibility of a meeting between the Presidents of Russia and the ChRI. “There will be no meetings to let the militants lick their wounds,” he said.

Start of ground operation

2000

2001

January 23 - Vladimir Putin decided to reduce and partially withdraw troops from Chechnya.
June 23-24 - 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 field commander Arbi Barayev. 16 militants were killed, including Barayev himself.
June 25-26 - militant attack on Khankala
July 11 - in the village of Mayrtup, Shalinsky district of Chechnya, during a special operation of the FSB and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Khattab's assistant Abu Umar was killed.
August 25 - in the city of Argun, during a special operation, FSB officers killed field commander Movsan Suleimenov, nephew of Arbi Barayev.
September 17 - an Mi-8 helicopter with a General Staff commission on board was shot down in Grozny (2 generals and 8 officers were killed).
September 17-18 - militant attack on Gudermes: the attack was repulsed, as a result of the use of the Tochka-U missile system, a group of more than 100 people was destroyed.
November 3 - during a special operation, the influential field commander Shamil Iriskhanov, who was part of Basayev’s inner circle, was killed.
December 15 - in Argun, during a special operation, federal forces killed 20 militants.

2002

January 27 - an Mi-8 helicopter was shot down in the Shelkovsky district of Chechnya. Among the dead were the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Mikhail Rudchenko, and the commander of the group of internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Chechnya, Major General Nikolai Goridov.
March 20 - as a result of a special operation by the FSB, terrorist Khattab was killed by poisoning.
April 18 - in his Address to the Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin announced the end of the military stage of the conflict in Chechnya.
May 9 - a terrorist attack occurred in Kaspiysk during the celebration of Victory Day. 43 people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
August 19 - Chechen separatists using Igla MANPADS shot down a Russian military transport helicopter Mi-26 in the area of the Khankala military base. Of the 147 people on board, 127 died.
August 25 - the famous field commander Aslambek Abdulkhadzhiev was killed in Shali.
September 23 - Raid on Ingushetia (2002)
October 10 - an explosion occurred in the building of the Zavodsky district police department in Grozny. The explosive device was planted in the office of the head of the department. 25 policemen were killed, about 20 were wounded.
October 23 - 26 - hostage taking in the theater center on Dubrovka in Moscow, 129 hostages died. All 44 terrorists were killed, including Movsar Barayev.
December 27 - explosion of the Government House in Grozny. As a result of the terrorist attack, more than 70 people were killed. Shamil Basayev took responsibility for the terrorist attack.

2003

May 12 - in the village of Znamenskoye of the Nadterechny district of Chechnya, three suicide bombers carried out a terrorist attack in the area of the buildings of the administration of the Nadterechny district and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. A KamAZ car loaded with explosives demolished the barrier in front of the building and exploded. 60 people were killed and more than 250 were injured.
May 14 - in the village of Ilshan-Yurt, Gudermes region, a suicide bomber blew herself up in a crowd celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, where Akhmat Kadyrov was present. 18 people were killed and 145 people were injured.
June 5 - a suicide bomber blew herself up next to a passenger bus carrying airbase employees en route to a military base in Mozdok. 16 people died on the spot. Four more died from their wounds later.
July 5 - terrorist attack in Moscow at the Wings rock festival. 16 people were killed and 57 were injured.
August 1 - Bombing of a military hospital in Mozdok. A KamAZ army truck loaded with explosives rammed the gate and exploded near the building. There was one suicide bomber in the cockpit. The death toll was 52 people.
September 3 - terrorist attack on the Kislovodsk-Minvody train on the Podkumok-White Coal section; railway tracks were blown up using a landmine: 5 people were killed and 20 were injured.
November 23 - three kilometers east of Serzhen-Yurt, GRU special forces destroyed a gang of mercenaries from Germany, Turkey and Algeria, numbering about 20 people.
December 5 - suicide bombing on the Kislovodsk-Minvody train in Essentuki: 41 people were killed, 212 were injured.
December 9 - suicide bombing near the National Hotel (Moscow).
December 15, 2003 - February 28, 2004 - Raid on Dagestan by a detachment under the command of Ruslan Gelayev.

2004

February 6 - terrorist attack in the Moscow metro, on the stretch between the Avtozavodskaya and Paveletskaya stations. 39 people were killed and 122 were injured.
February 28 - famous field commander Ruslan Gelayev was mortally wounded during a shootout with border guards
April 16 - during the shelling of the Chechen mountains, the leader of foreign mercenaries in Chechnya, Abu al-Walid al-Ghamidi, was killed
May 9 - in Grozny at the Dynamo stadium, where the parade in honor of Victory Day was taking place, at 10:32 a powerful explosion occurred on the newly renovated VIP stand. At that moment, there were the President of Chechnya Akhmat Kadyrov, the Chairman of the State Council of the Chechen Republic Kh. Isaev, the commander of the United Group of Forces in the North Caucasus General V. Baranov, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Chechnya Alu Alkhanov and the military commandant of the republic G. Fomenko. 2 people died directly in the explosion, 4 more died in hospitals: Akhmat Kadyrov, Kh. Isaev, Reuters journalist A. Khasanov, a child (whose name was not reported) and two Kadyrov security officers. In total, 63 people were injured from the explosion in Grozny, including 5 children.
June 21 - 22 - Raid on Ingushetia
July 12 - 13 - a large detachment of militants captured the village of Avtury, Shali district
August 21 - 400 militants attacked Grozny. According to the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs, 44 people were killed and 36 were seriously injured.
August 24 - explosions of two Russian passenger airliners, killing 89 people.
August 31 - terrorist attack near the Rizhskaya metro station in Moscow. 10 people were killed and more than 50 people were injured.
September 1 - 3 - terrorist attack in Beslan, which killed 334 people, 186 of whom were children.
October 7 - in a battle north of the village of Niki-Khit, Kurchaloevsky district, a demolition instructor, African-American Khalil Rudvan, was killed.

2005

February 18 - as a result of a special operation in the Oktyabrsky district of Grozny, the forces of the PPS-2 detachment killed the “Emir of Grozny” Yunadi Turchaev, the “right hand” of one of the terrorist leaders Doku Umarov.
March 8 - During a special operation by the FSB in the village of Tolstoy-Yurt, the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Aslan Maskhadov, was eliminated.
May 15 - former vice-president of the Chechen Republic of Ichryssia Vakha Arsanov was killed in Grozny. Arsanov and his accomplices, while in a private house, fired at a police patrol and were destroyed by arriving reinforcements.
May 15 - in the Dubovsky forest of the Shelkovsky district, as a result of a special operation of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the “emir” of the Shelkovsky district of the Chechen Republic, Rasul Tambulatov (Volchek), was killed.
June 4 - Cleanup in the village of Borozdinovskaya
October 13 - Militants attack the city of Nalchik (Kabardino-Balkaria), as a result of which, according to Russian authorities, 12 civilians and 35 law enforcement officers were killed. According to various sources, from 40 to 124 militants were destroyed.

2006

January 31 - Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference that it is now possible to talk about the end of the counter-terrorism operation in Chechnya.
February 9-11 - in the village of Tukuy-Mekteb in the Stavropol Territory, 12 so-called militants were killed during a special operation. “Nogai battalion of the Armed Forces of the ChRI”, federal forces lost 7 people killed. During the operation, the federal side actively uses helicopters and tanks.
March 28 - in Chechnya, the former head of the state security department of the ChRI Sultan Gelikhanov voluntarily surrendered to the authorities.
June 16 - “ChRI President” Abdul-Halim Sadulaev was killed in Argun
July 4 - in Chechnya, a military convoy was attacked near the village of Avtury, Shalinsky district. Representatives of the federal forces report 6 military personnel killed, bandits - more than 20.
July 9 - the website of Chechen militants "Caucasus Center" announced the creation of the Ural and Volga fronts as part of the Armed Forces of the ChRI.
July 10 - in Ingushetia, one of the terrorist leaders Shamil Basayev was killed as a result of a special operation (according to other sources, he died due to careless handling of explosives).
July 12 - on the border of Chechnya and Dagestan, the police of both republics destroy a relatively large but poorly armed gang consisting of 15 militants. 13 bandits were destroyed, 2 more were detained.
August 23 - Chechen militants attacked a military convoy on the Grozny - Shatoy highway, not far from the entrance to the Argun Gorge. The column consisted of a Ural vehicle and two escort armored personnel carriers. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic, four federal servicemen were wounded as a result.
November 7 - in the area of the village of Dai, Shatoi district, a gang of S.-E. Dadaev killed seven riot policemen from Mordovia.
November 26 - the leader of foreign mercenaries in Chechnya, Abu Hafs al-Urdani, was killed in Khasavyurt. Along with him, 4 more militants were killed.

2007

April 4 - in the vicinity of the village of Agish-batoy, Vedeno district of Chechnya, one of the most influential militant leaders, commander of the Eastern Front ChRIS Suleiman Ilmurzaev (call sign “Khairulla”), involved in the murder of Chechen President Akhmat Kadyrov, was killed.
June 13 - in the Vedeno district on the Verkhnie Kurchali - Belgata highway, militants shot at a convoy of police cars.
July 23 - battle near the village of Tazen-Kale, Vedensky district, between the Vostok battalion of Sulim Yamadayev and a detachment of Chechen militants led by Doku Umarov. The death of 6 militants was reported.
September 18 - as a result of a counter-terrorist operation in the village of New Sulak, “Amir Rabbani” - Rappani Khalilov - was killed.
October 7 - Doku Umarov announced the abolition of the ChRI and its transformation into the “vilayat of Nokhchiycho of the Caucasus Emirate”

2008

January - during special operations in Makhachkala and the Tabasaran region of Dagestan, at least 9 militants were killed, 6 of them were part of the group of field commander I. Mallochiev. There were no casualties on the part of the security forces in these clashes. At the same time, during the clashes in Grozny, the Chechen police killed 5 militants, among them was the field commander U. Techiev, the “emir” of the capital of Chechnya.
March 19 - an armed attack by militants was carried out on the village of Alkhazurovo. As a result, seven people died, five law enforcement officers and two civilians.
May 5 - a military vehicle was blown up by a landmine in the village of Tashkola, a suburb of Grozny. 5 policemen were killed, 2 were injured.
June 13 - night attack by militants in the village of Benoy-Vedeno
September 2008 - major leaders of the illegal armed formations of Dagestan Ilgar Mallochiev and A. Gudayev were killed, a total of up to 10 militants.
December 18 - battle in the city of Argun, 2 policemen were killed and 6 were wounded. One person was killed by militants in Argun.
December 23-25 - special operation of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the village of Verkhny Alkun in Ingushetia. Field commander Vakha Dzhenaraliev, who fought against federal troops in Chechnya and Ingushetia since 1999, and his deputy Khamkhoev were killed, a total of 12 militants were killed. 4 illegal armed formation bases have been liquidated.
June 19 - Said Buryatsky announced his joining the underground.

2009

April 15 is the last day of the counter-terrorist operation regime.

Aggravation of the situation in the North Caucasus in 2009

Despite the official cancellation of the counter-terrorism operation on April 16, 2009, the situation in the region has not become calmer, quite the opposite. Militants waging guerrilla warfare have become more active, and incidents of terrorist acts have become more frequent. Beginning in the fall of 2009, a number of major special operations were carried out to eliminate gangs and militant leaders. In response, a series of terrorist attacks were carried out, including, for the first time in a long time, in Moscow.

Military clashes, terrorist attacks and police operations are actively taking place not only on the territory of Chechnya, but also on the territory of Ingushetia, Dagestan, and Kabardino-Balkaria. In certain territories, the CTO regime was repeatedly temporarily introduced.

Starting from May 15, 2009, Russian security forces intensified operations against militant groups in the mountainous regions of Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan, which caused a retaliatory intensification of terrorist activities by militants. At the end of July 2010, there were all signs of an escalation of the conflict and its spread to nearby regions.

Command

Heads of the Regional Operational Headquarters for the counter-terrorism operation in the North Caucasus (2001-2006)

The Regional Operational Headquarters (ROH) was created by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 22, 2001 No. 61 “On measures to combat terrorism in the territory of the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation.”

German Ugryumov (January - May 2001)
Anatoly Ezhkov (June 2001 - July 2003)
Yuri Maltsev (July 2003 - September 2004)
Arkady Edelev (September 2004 - August 2006)

In 2006, on the basis of ROSH, the Operational Headquarters of the Chechen Republic was created to conduct a counter-terrorism operation.

Commanders of the Joint Group of Troops (Forces) for conducting counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation (since 1999)

The united group was formed by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 23, 1999 No. 1255c “On measures to increase the effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation.”

Victor Kazantsev (September 1999 - February 2000)
Gennady Troshev (acting February - March 2000, commander April - June 2000)
Alexander Baranov (acting March 2000)
Alexander Baranov (acting July - September 2000, commander September 2000 - October 2001, September 2003 - May 2004)
Vladimir Moltenskoy (acting May - August 2001, commander October 2001 - September 2002)
Sergei Makarov (acting July - August 2002, commander October 2002 - September 2003)
Mikhail Pankov (acting May 2004)
Vyacheslav Dadonov (acting June 2004 - July 2005)
Evgeniy Lazebin (July 2005 - June 2006)
Evgeny Baryaev (June - December 2006)
Yakov Nedobitko (December 2006 - January 2008)
Nikolay Sivak (January 2008 - August 2011)
Sergey Melikov (since September 2011)

Conflict in literature, cinema, music

Books

Alexander Karasev. Traitor. Ufa: Vagant, 2011, 256 p. ISBN 978-5-9635-0344-7.
Alexander Karasev. Chechen stories. M.: Literary Russia, 2008, 320 p. ISBN 978-5-7809-0114-3.
Zherebtsova, Polina Viktorovna. Diary of Polina Zherebtsova. Detective Press, 2011, 576 pp. ISBN 978-5-89935-101-3
Vyacheslav Mironov. "I was in that war."

Films and TV series

War is a feature film.
Alexandra - feature film.
Forced March - feature film.
Caucasian Roulette is a feature film.
A man's work (8-episode film).
Storm Gates (4-episode film).
Special forces (TV series).
I have the honor (TV series).
Lethal force-3 “Strength limit” (1st - 4th series)
Mistrust - documentary film.
Alive (film, 2006) - feature film
Breakthrough (film, 2006) - feature film

Songs and music

Songs dedicated to the Second Chechen War:

"Lube"- “After the War” (2000), “Soldier” (2000), Let’s get... (2002)
Yuri Shevchuk- Star (2006), Smoke (2009)
Timur Gordeev- Tell me, major, we're going home
Timur Mutsuraev- “Hava Barayeva” (the view from the militants)
Igor Rasteryaev- “Song about Yura Prishchepny” (2011)
Nikolay Anisimov- The rooks have arrived (2010)

Plan
Introduction
1 Background
2 Character
3 Chronology
3.1 1999
3.1.1 Aggravation of the situation on the border with Chechnya
3.1.2 Attack on Dagestan
3.1.3 Aerial bombing of Chechnya
3.1.4 Start of ground operation

3.2 2000
3.3 2001
3.4 2002
3.5 2003
3.6 2004
3.7 2005
3.8 2006
3.9 2007
3.10 2008
3.11 2009

4 Aggravation of the situation in the North Caucasus in 2009
5 Command
6 Victims
7 Conflict in art, cinema, music
7.1 Films and TV series
7.2 Songs and music

Bibliography
Second Chechen War

Introduction

The second Chechen war (officially called the counter-terrorist operation (CTO) - military operations on the territory of Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus. Began on September 30, 1999 (the date of the entry of Russian troops into Chechnya). The active phase of hostilities lasted from 1999 to 2000, then As the Russian Armed Forces established control over the territory of Chechnya, it developed into a smoldering conflict, which actually continues to this day.From 0 o'clock on April 16, 2009, the CTO regime was abolished.

1. Background

After the signing of the Khasavyurt agreements and the withdrawal of Russian troops in 1996, there was no peace and tranquility in Chechnya and the surrounding regions.

Chechen criminal structures made business with impunity on mass kidnappings, hostage-taking (including official Russian representatives working in Chechnya), theft of oil from oil pipelines and oil wells, the production and smuggling of drugs, the issuance and distribution of counterfeit banknotes, terrorist attacks and attacks on neighboring Russian regions. Camps were created on the territory of Chechnya to train militants - young people from Muslim regions of Russia. Mine demolition instructors and Islamic preachers were sent here from abroad. Numerous Arab mercenaries began to play a significant role in the life of Chechnya. Their main goal was to destabilize the situation in the Russian regions neighboring Chechnya and spread the ideas of separatism to the North Caucasian republics (primarily Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria).

On August 7, 1999, a massive invasion of Dagestan by militants was carried out from the territory of Chechnya under the overall command of Shamil Basayev and the Arab mercenary Khattab. The core of the militant group consisted of foreign mercenaries and fighters of the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade, associated with Al-Qaeda. The militants' plan to have the population of Dagestan come over to their side failed; the Dagestanis offered desperate resistance to the invading bandits. The Russian authorities proposed that the Ichkerian leadership conduct a joint operation with federal forces against Islamists in Dagestan. It was also proposed to “resolve the issue of liquidating bases, storage and rest areas of illegal armed groups, which the Chechen leadership in every possible way denies.” Aslan Maskhadov verbally condemned the attacks on Dagestan and their organizers and instigators, but did not take real measures to counter them.

On September 23, Russian troops began massive bombing of Grozny and its environs, and on September 30 they entered the territory of Chechnya.

2. Character

Having broken the resistance of the militants by the force of the army and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (the command of the Russian troops successfully uses military tricks, such as, for example, luring militants to minefields, raids on the rear of gangs and many others), the Kremlin relied on the “Chechenization” of the conflict and luring side with some of the elite and former militants. Thus, in 2000, the former supporter of the separatists, the chief mufti of Chechnya, Akhmat Kadyrov, became the head of the pro-Kremlin administration of Chechnya in 2000. The militants, on the contrary, relied on the internationalization of the conflict, involving armed groups of non-Chechen origin in their struggle. By the beginning of 2005, after the destruction of Maskhadov, Khattab, Barayev, Abu al-Walid and many other field commanders, the intensity of sabotage and terrorist activities of the militants decreased significantly. During 2005-2008, not a single major terrorist attack was committed in Russia, and the only large-scale militant operation (Raid on Kabardino-Balkaria on October 13, 2005) ended in complete failure.

3. Chronology

Aggravation of the situation on the border with Chechnya

· June 18 - Chechnya attacked two outposts on the Dagestan-Chechen border, as well as an attack on a Cossack company in the Stavropol Territory. The Russian leadership is closing most of the checkpoints on the border with Chechnya.

· June 22 - for the first time in the history of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, an attempt was made to commit a terrorist attack in its main building. The bomb was defused in time. According to one version, the terrorist attack was a response of Chechen militants to threats from the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Rushailo, to carry out acts of retaliation in Chechnya.

· June 23 - shelling from the side of Chechnya at the outpost near the village of Pervomaiskoye, Khasavyurt district of Dagestan.

· June 30 - Rushailo said: “We must respond to the blow with a more crushing blow; “on the border with Chechnya, the order was given to use preventive strikes against armed gangs.”

· July 3 - Rushailo said that the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs “is beginning to strictly regulate the situation in the North Caucasus, where Chechnya acts as a criminal “think tank” controlled by foreign intelligence services, extremist organizations and the criminal community.” Deputy Prime Minister of the ChRI government Kazbek Makhashev stated in response: “We cannot be intimidated by threats, and Rushailo knows this well.”

· July 5 - Rushailo stated that “early in the morning of July 5, a preemptive strike was launched against concentrations of 150-200 armed militants in Chechnya.”

· July 7 - a group of militants from Chechnya attacked an outpost near the Grebensky Bridge in the Babayurt region of Dagestan. Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and Director of the FSB of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin said that “Russia will henceforth take not preventive, but only adequate actions in response to attacks in the areas bordering Chechnya.” He emphasized that “the Chechen authorities do not fully control the situation in the republic.”

There are many wars written into the history of Russia. Most of them were liberation, some began on our territory and ended far beyond its borders. But there is nothing worse than such wars, which were started as a result of the illiterate actions of the country’s leadership and led to terrifying results because the authorities solved their own problems without paying attention to the people.

One of such sad pages of Russian history is the Chechen war. This was not a confrontation between two different peoples. There were no absolute rights in this war. And the most surprising thing is that this war still cannot be considered over.

Prerequisites for the start of the war in Chechnya

It is hardly possible to talk about these military campaigns briefly. The era of perestroika, so pompously announced by Mikhail Gorbachev, marked the collapse of a huge country consisting of 15 republics. However, the main difficulty for Russia was that, left without satellites, it was faced with internal unrest that had a nationalistic character. The Caucasus turned out to be especially problematic in this regard.

Back in 1990, the National Congress was created. This organization was headed by Dzhokhar Dudayev, a former major general of aviation in the Soviet Army. The Congress set its main goal to secede from the USSR; in the future, it was planned to create a Chechen Republic, independent of any state.

In the summer of 1991, a situation of dual power arose in Chechnya, since both the leadership of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic itself and the leadership of the so-called Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, proclaimed by Dudayev, acted.

This state of affairs could not exist for long, and in September the same Dzhokhar and his supporters seized the republican television center, the Supreme Council and the Radio House. This was the beginning of the revolution. The situation was extremely precarious, and its development was facilitated by the official collapse of the country carried out by Yeltsin. Following the news that the Soviet Union no longer existed, Dudayev's supporters announced that Chechnya was seceding from Russia.

The separatists seized power - under their influence, parliamentary and presidential elections were held in the republic on October 27, as a result of which power was completely in the hands of ex-General Dudayev. And a few days later, on November 7, Boris Yeltsin signed a decree stating that a state of emergency was being introduced in the Chechen-Ingush Republic. In fact, this document became one of the reasons for the start of the bloody Chechen wars.

At that time, there was quite a lot of ammunition and weapons in the republic. Some of these reserves had already been captured by the separatists. Instead of blocking the situation, the Russian leadership allowed it to get even more out of control - in 1992, the head of the Ministry of Defense Grachev transferred half of all these reserves to the militants. The authorities explained this decision by saying that it was no longer possible to remove weapons from the republic at that time.

However, during this period there was still an opportunity to stop the conflict. An opposition was created that opposed Dudayev's power. However, after it became clear that these small detachments could not resist the militant formations, the war was practically already underway.

Yeltsin and his political supporters could no longer do anything, and from 1991 to 1994 it was actually a republic independent of Russia. It had its own government bodies and had its own state symbols. In 1994, when Russian troops were brought into the territory of the republic, a full-scale war began. Even after the resistance of Dudayev’s militants was suppressed, the problem was never completely resolved.

Speaking about the war in Chechnya, it is worth considering that the fault for its outbreak, first of all, was the illiterate leadership of first the USSR and then Russia. It was the weakening of the internal political situation in the country that led to the weakening of the outskirts and the strengthening of nationalist elements.

As for the essence of the Chechen war, there is a conflict of interests and an inability to govern a vast territory on the part of first Gorbachev and then Yeltsin. Subsequently, it was up to the people who came to power at the very end of the twentieth century to untie this tangled knot.

First Chechen war 1994-1996

Historians, writers and filmmakers are still trying to assess the scale of the horrors of the Chechen war. No one denies that it caused enormous damage not only to the republic itself, but to all of Russia. However, it is worth considering that the nature of the two campaigns was quite different.

During the Yeltsin era, when the first Chechen campaign of 1994-1996 was launched, Russian troops could not act coherently and freely enough. The country's leadership solved its problems, moreover, according to some information, many people profited from this war - weapons were supplied to the territory of the republic from the Russian Federation, and militants often made money by demanding large ransoms for hostages.

At the same time, the main task of the Second Chechen War of 1999-2009 was the suppression of gangs and the establishment of constitutional order. It is clear that if the goals of both campaigns were different, then the course of action was significantly different.

On December 1, 1994, airstrikes were carried out on airfields located in Khankala and Kalinovskaya. And already on December 11, Russian units were introduced into the territory of the republic. This fact marked the beginning of the First Campaign. Entry was carried out from three directions at once - through Mozdok, through Ingushetia and through Dagestan.

By the way, at that time the Ground Forces were led by Eduard Vorobiev, but he immediately resigned, considering it unwise to lead the operation, since the troops were completely unprepared for conducting full-scale combat operations.

At first, Russian troops advanced quite successfully. The entire northern territory was occupied by them quickly and without much loss. From December 1994 to March 1995, the Russian Armed Forces stormed Grozny. The city was built up quite densely, and Russian units were simply stuck in skirmishes and attempts to take the capital.

Russian Defense Minister Grachev expected to take the city very quickly and therefore did not spare human and technical resources. According to researchers, more than 1,500 Russian soldiers and many civilians of the republic died or went missing near Grozny. The armored vehicles also suffered serious damage - almost 150 units were damaged.

However, after two months of fierce fighting, federal troops finally took Grozny. Participants in the hostilities subsequently recalled that the city was destroyed almost to the ground, and this is confirmed by numerous photographs and video documents.

During the assault, not only armored vehicles were used, but also aviation and artillery. There were bloody battles on almost every street. The militants lost more than 7,000 people during the operation in Grozny and, under the leadership of Shamil Basayev, on March 6 they were forced to finally leave the city, which came under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.

However, the war, which brought death to thousands of not only armed but also civilians, did not end there. The fighting continued first on the plains (from March to April), and then in the mountainous regions of the republic (from May to June 1995). Argun, Shali, and Gudermes were taken successively.

The militants responded with terrorist attacks carried out in Budennovsk and Kizlyar. After varying successes on both sides, a decision was made to negotiate. And as a result, on August 31, 1996, agreements were concluded. According to them, federal troops were leaving Chechnya, the republic's infrastructure was to be restored, and the question of independent status was postponed.

Second Chechen campaign 1999–2009

If the country's authorities hoped that by reaching an agreement with the militants, they would solve the problem and the battles of the Chechen war would become a thing of the past, then everything turned out to be wrong. Over several years of a dubious truce, the gangs have only accumulated strength. In addition, more and more Islamists from Arab countries entered the territory of the republic.

As a result, on August 7, 1999, the militants of Khattab and Basayev invaded Dagestan. Their calculation was based on the fact that the Russian government at that time looked very weak. Yeltsin practically did not lead the country, the Russian economy was in deep decline. The militants hoped that they would take their side, but they put up serious resistance to the bandit groups.

The reluctance to allow Islamists into their territory and the help of federal troops forced the Islamists to retreat. True, this took a month - the militants were driven out only in September 1999. At that time, Chechnya was led by Aslan Maskhadov, and, unfortunately, he was not able to exercise full control over the republic.

It was at this time, angry that they failed to break Dagestan, that Islamist groups began carrying out terrorist attacks on Russian territory. Horrible terrorist attacks were committed in Volgodonsk, Moscow and Buynaksk, which claimed dozens of lives. Therefore, the number of those killed in the Chechen war must include those civilians who never thought that it would come to their families.

In September 1999, a decree “On measures to increase the effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation” was issued, signed by Yeltsin. And on December 31, he announced his resignation from the presidency.

As a result of the presidential elections, power in the country passed to a new leader, Vladimir Putin, whose tactical abilities the militants did not take into account. But at that time, Russian troops were already on the territory of Chechnya, again bombed Grozny and acted much more competently. The experience of the previous campaign was taken into account.

December 1999 is another painful and terrible chapter of the war. The Argun Gorge was otherwise called “Wolf Gate” - one of the largest Caucasian gorges. Here, the landing and border troops carried out the special operation "Argun", the purpose of which was to recapture a section of the Russian-Georgian border from Khattab's troops, and also to deprive the militants of the weapons supply route from the Pankisi Gorge. The operation was completed in February 2000.

Many people also remember the feat of the 6th company of the 104th parachute regiment of the Pskov Airborne Division. These fighters became real heroes of the Chechen war. They withstood a terrible battle on the 776th height, when they, numbering only 90 people, managed to hold back over 2,000 militants for 24 hours. Most of the paratroopers died, and the militants themselves lost almost a quarter of their strength.

Despite such cases, the second war, unlike the first, can be called sluggish. Perhaps that is why it lasted longer - a lot happened over the years of these battles. The new Russian authorities decided to act differently. They refused to conduct active combat operations carried out by federal troops. It was decided to exploit the internal split in Chechnya itself. Thus, Mufti Akhmat Kadyrov went over to the side of the federals, and situations were increasingly observed when ordinary militants laid down their arms.

Putin, realizing that such a war could last indefinitely, decided to take advantage of internal political fluctuations and persuade the authorities to cooperate. Now we can say that he succeeded. It also played a role that on May 9, 2004, Islamists carried out a terrorist attack in Grozny, aimed at intimidating the population. An explosion occurred at the Dynamo stadium during a concert dedicated to Victory Day. More than 50 people were injured, and Akhmat Kadyrov died from his injuries.

This odious terrorist attack brought completely different results. The population of the republic was finally disappointed in the militants and rallied around the legitimate government. A young man was appointed to replace his father, who understood the futility of the Islamist resistance. Thus, the situation began to change for the better. If the militants relied on attracting foreign mercenaries from abroad, the Kremlin decided to use national interests. The residents of Chechnya were very tired of the war, so they already voluntarily went over to the side of the pro-Russian forces.

The counterterrorism operation regime, introduced by Yeltsin on September 23, 1999, was abolished by President Dmitry Medvedev in 2009. Thus, the campaign was officially over, since it was not called a war, but a CTO. However, can we assume that veterans of the Chechen war can sleep peacefully if local battles are still taking place and terrorist acts are carried out from time to time?

Results and consequences for the history of Russia

It is unlikely that anyone today can specifically answer the question of how many died in the Chechen war. The problem is that any calculations will only be approximate. During the period of intensification of the conflict before the First Campaign, many people of Slavic origin were repressed or forced to leave the republic. During the years of the First Campaign, many fighters from both sides died, and these losses also cannot be accurately calculated.

While military losses can still be more or less calculated, no one has been involved in ascertaining losses among the civilian population, except perhaps human rights activists. Thus, according to the current official data, the 1st war claimed the following number of lives:

Russian soldiers - 14,000 people;
militants - 3,800 people;
civilian population - from 30,000 to 40,000 people.

If we talk about the Second Campaign, the results of the death toll are as follows:

federal troops - about 3,000 people;
militants - from 13,000 to 15,000 people;
civilian population - 1000 people.

It should be borne in mind that these figures vary greatly depending on which organizations provide them. For example, when discussing the results of the second Chechen war, official Russian sources talk about a thousand civilian deaths. At the same time, Amnesty International (an international non-governmental organization) gives completely different figures - about 25,000 people. The difference in these data, as you can see, is huge.

The result of the war is not only the impressive numbers of casualties among killed, wounded, and missing people. This is also a destroyed republic - after all, many cities, primarily Grozny, were subjected to artillery shelling and bombing. Their entire infrastructure was practically destroyed, so Russia had to rebuild the capital of the republic from scratch.

As a result, today Grozny is one of the most beautiful and modern cities. Other settlements of the republic were also rebuilt.

Anyone interested in this information can find out what happened in the territory from 1994 to 2009. There are many films about the Chechen war, books and various materials on the Internet.

However, those who were forced to leave the republic, lost their relatives, their health - these people hardly want to immerse themselves again in what they have already experienced. The country was able to withstand this most difficult period of its history, and once again proved that dubious calls for independence or unity with Russia are more important for them.

The history of the Chechen war has not yet been fully studied. Researchers will spend a long time looking for documents about losses among military and civilians and rechecking statistical data. But today we can say: the weakening of the top and the desire for disunity always lead to dire consequences. Only the strengthening of state power and the unity of people can end any confrontation so that the country can live in peace again.