Goals of the second Chechen war. Chechen War

Second Chechen War (officially called counter-terrorist operation (CTO)) - fighting on the territory of the Chechen Republic and the border regions of the North Caucasus. It 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 control was established Armed forces Russia over the territory of Chechnya has developed into a smoldering conflict.

Second Chechen war. Background

March 12 - in the village of Novogroznensky, a terrorist was captured by FSB officers and taken to Moscow, who was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment and died in prison.

March 19 - near the village of Duba-Yurt, FSB officers detained a Chechen field commander nicknamed Tractor Driver, later sentenced to life imprisonment.

March 20 - on the eve of the presidential elections, Vladimir Putin visited Chechnya. He arrived in Grozny on a Su-27UB fighter piloted by the head of the Lipetsk aviation center, Alexander Kharchevsky.

May 9 - the head of the Chechen administration, Akhmat Kadyrov, died as a result of a terrorist attack at the Victory Day parade in Grozny.

May 17 - as a result of an explosion in the suburbs of Grozny, the crew of an armored personnel carrier of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was killed and several people were injured

August 21 - 400 militants attacked Grozny. According to the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs, 44 people were killed and 36 were seriously injured.

August 31 - terrorist attack near the Rizhskaya metro station in Moscow. 10 people were killed and more than 50 people were injured.

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.

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, militants - 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, as a result of a special operation (according to other sources, one of the terrorist leaders, Shamil Basayev, 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 fighters 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 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 of the Chechen Republic of Ingushetia, 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, “Emir Rabbani” was killed.

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.

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.

On June 19, one of the most famous preachers in Russia and the CIS countries announced his joining the underground.

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 the 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, was killed, his deputy Khamkhoev, and a total of 12 militants. 4 illegal armed formation bases have been liquidated.

2009

March 21-22 - a major special operation by security forces in Dagestan. As a result of heavy fighting using helicopters and armored vehicles, the forces of the local Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB Directorate, with the support of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, eliminated 12 militants in the Untsukulsky district of the republic. The losses of the federal troops amount to 5 people killed; in the summer of 2009, two servicemen of the special forces of the VV were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia for their participation in these hostilities. At the same time, in Makhachkala, the police destroy 4 more armed extremists in battle.

Second Chechen war. The situation after the abolition of the CTO regime

June 22, 2009 - assassination attempt on the President of Ingushetia Yunus-bek Yevkurov. The next day, the security forces eliminated 3 militants, and among them was a certain field commander A-M. Aliyev, who was allegedly involved in the assassination attempt President of U-B. Evkurova.

July 4, 2009 - A detachment of the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs, sent to help the Ingush security forces, was ambushed by militants on the main street of the village of Arshty. As a result of shelling from grenade launchers and small arms Nine policemen were killed and ten were injured of varying degrees of severity.

July 5-8, 2009 - over four days in Chechnya, three helicopters of federal troops were damaged by shelling from the ground.

July 11 - during special operations in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan, local and federal security forces eliminate 16 militants without a single loss on their part.

July 26, 2009 - Attempted assassination. Suicide bomber Rustam Mukhadiev set off an explosion near a concert hall in Grozny. 6 people died, including 4 high-ranking officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

August 17, 2009 - a suicide bomber in a GAZelle car loaded with explosives rammed the building of the Nazran City Department of Internal Affairs. According to official data, 25 policemen were killed and more than 260 were injured.

October 1 - during a special operation in the mountains of Southern Chechnya, half of the gang of field commander M. Temiraliev was destroyed - 8 militants were killed. Among them was the oldest member of the illegal armed group in Chechnya, a veteran of both Chechen wars, the 52-year-old emir of the village of Azamat-Yurt A. Pashayev. The operation was carried out by forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Chechnya, they had no losses. At the same time, 3 militants were killed in Nalchik.

October 12 - during a special operation in Ingushetia, federal forces killed 7 militants, losing 3 killed on their side. IAF bases with weapons and ammunition were destroyed.

November 13 - a major special operation by Chechen and federal security forces near the village. Shalazhi in the Urus-Martan region of Chechnya. A large gang of militants was discovered, after which the security forces called for air support. The helicopter strike killed, according to various estimates, from 10 to 20 bandits. The militants themselves admitted the death of 9 fighters for their part; Chechen President R. Kadyrov initially claimed the death of approximately 10 militants, then about 20.

It is hardly possible to establish the exact damage to the illegal armed groups, since many of the bodies of the killed militants were badly damaged. We managed to identify only 3 of them right off the bat. Moreover, among those killed was I. Uspakhadzhiev, a major field commander, the closest associate of the leader of the illegal armed formation D. Umarov. Therefore, Kadyrov Jr. again expressed the idea of ​​the possible death of Umarov himself.

November 24 - during a skirmish with a detachment of militants in Ingushetia, federal forces eliminate 3 militants, and a CTO regime was temporarily declared in the area.

December 9 - during a special operation in Karachay-Cherkessia, special forces destroyed a group of 3 militants. Among them was field commander R. Khubiev - this bandit trained in Ingushetia, prepared a series of terrorist attacks in Karachay-Cherkessia, and committed murders of police officers. The special forces lost 1 officer killed in battle.

December 18 - in the mountains of the Vedeno region of Chechnya, federal forces liquidated the field commander A. Izrailov, nicknamed “Savab” - one of the major bandit leaders of the mountainous part of Chechnya, whose BF operated in the Nozhai-Yurtovsky and Vedeno regions of the republic. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov considered the liquidation of Izrailov a great success.

Second Chechen war. Aggravation of the situation in the North Caucasus

Despite the official cancellation of the counter-terrorism operation, the situation in the region has not become calmer; rather, on the contrary, the militants have become more active and incidents of terrorist acts have become more frequent. A major terrorist attack occurred on January 6 in Dagestan, a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb near the city traffic police building. As a result, 5 policemen died on the spot. There are opinions that the militants are financed by Al Qaeda. Some analysts believe that the escalation could develop into a “third Chechen war.”

Human losses in the Second Chechen War

The Second Chechen War, which began in 1999, was accompanied by large casualties among military personnel of the federal group of troops, activists of Chechen armed groups and civilians of the republic. Despite the fact that the cessation of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya was officially announced after the capture of Shatoi on February 29, 2000, military operations continued after this date, leading to new casualties.

Explanation for this photo:

Photo: March 1995. Mass graves on the outskirts of the city cemetery in Grozny. Since February 1995, in the group at the GUOSH of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Staropromyslovsky district, pozh.part building), there was a group of experienced operational workers and an expert pathologist from all over Russia. Number of people: 10-12 people. The main burden was borne by the second group of specialists, which arrived in Grozny on March 13 - more than 600 remains were processed (the first exhumed only 6 corpses). There was plenty of work, but the command made a decision - not to go into the basements of houses and to work on the holes in the cemetery.

The pits were trenches dug by an excavator, ranging from 3 to 10 m long. 2.5-3 m wide. This was probably done by local residents, because there were plenty of dead people on the streets of the city and they were already beginning to decompose. At first they laid them in stacks and evenly, sprinkling them with lime, but then for some reason they began to simply lay them down (possibly dump them) at random. As the hole was filled, soil was poured on top of about a half-meter layer.

Lying nearby a large number of stretcher An eyewitness and a member of the group described this to me in detail and showed me photographs of this place. The group's task is to get people out of the trench, put them in a row and describe them in detail, filling out an identification card for each person. The card is filled out according to the form - clothing, height, skin color, moles and other distinctive features...

After 20-30 people had worked, the corpses were buried under plates with numbers. These numbers are linked to identification cards and should have been transferred to the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs. Of the total number of corpses, there was not a single child. The rest range in age from 15 to 80 years. Men and women are about the same. All civilians. There were also people dressed in camouflage, but clearly not federal forces. There were a large number with straws from different places bodies, presumably they were brought from medical facilities in the basements.

While working, the group was repeatedly fired upon from small arms from the side. We had to post information boards at a distance asking people not to shoot at them, because... their work is needed by both opposing sides. Civilians constantly came, in groups and individually, to see their wanted people. Whoever was there, including militants... They came and looked. They found their own extremely rarely.

Local townspeople, 4-5 people, also worked with the exhumation group as volunteer helpers. Their eldest named Zina, a Chechen about 50 years old, brought pickles to feed the working people. There was also “Chol’s mother” - (60-65 years old) a cheerful Armenian, a drama theater actress, a swearer and a connoisseur of a lot of jokes. She married a Chechen exile in Tashkent and came to Grozny with him. There was also a Chechen there, former director museum - a large man with a mustache. They all helped voluntarily. When they were offered money or food, they refused. But their friend found a way to thank them for their dedication and literally forced them to take food - canned food, etc. They had families.

Their fate is now unknown, but in memory they remained as kind and in highest degree decent people. Here's the story...

Second Chechen war. Losses of federal forces

According to official data, from October 1, 1999 to December 23, 2002 total losses Federal forces (all law enforcement agencies) in Chechnya amounted to 4,572 people killed and 15,549 wounded. Thus, their number does not include losses during the fighting in Dagestan (August-September 1999), which numbered approximately 280 people. After December 2002, in most cases, only statistics of losses of the Ministry of Defense were published, although there were also losses of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The losses of military personnel of the Ministry of Defense by September 2008 amounted to 3,684 people killed. It is also known that by August 2003, 1,055 internal troops were killed, and the FSB, as of 2002, lost 202 people killed.

According to estimates by the Union of Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia, official data on human losses in the second Chechen war are underestimated by at least two times (about the same as what happened during the first Chechen campaign).

Second Chechen war. Losses of Chechen fighters

According to the federal side, as of December 31, 2000, militant losses amounted to more than 10,800 people, and according to another source, at the beginning of 2001 - more than 15,000 people. In July 2002, 13,517 militants were reported killed.

The militant command estimated the losses suffered from September 1999 to mid-April 2000 (the period of the most intense fighting) at 1,300 dead and 1,500 wounded. In an interview given in 2005 to journalist Andrei Babitsky, Shamil Basayev stated that 3,600 were killed by militants during the period 1999-2005.

The second Chechen war had official name- counter-terrorism operation in the North Caucasus, or CTO for short. But the common name is more known and widespread. The war affected almost the entire territory of Chechnya and the adjacent regions of the North Caucasus. It began on September 30, 1999 with the introduction of the Armed Forces Russian Federation. The most active phase can be called the years of the second Chechen war from 1999 to 2000. This was the peak of attacks. In subsequent years, the second Chechen war took on the character of local skirmishes between separatists and Russian soldiers. The year 2009 was marked by the official abolition of the CTO regime.
The second Chechen war brought a lot of destruction. Photographs taken by journalists demonstrate this perfectly.

Background

The first and second Chechen wars have a small time gap. After the Khasavyurt Agreement was signed in 1996, and Russian troops withdrawn from the republic, the authorities expected the onset of calm. However, peace was never established in Chechnya.
Criminal structures have significantly intensified their activities. They made an impressive business from such a criminal act as kidnapping for ransom. Their victims included Russian journalists and official representatives, and members of foreign public, political and religious organizations. The bandits did not hesitate to kidnap people who came to Chechnya for the funerals of loved ones. Thus, in 1997, two citizens of Ukraine were captured who arrived in the republic in connection with the death of their mother. Businessmen and workers from Turkey were regularly captured. Terrorists profited from oil theft, drug trafficking, and the production and distribution of counterfeit money. They committed outrages and kept the civilian population in fear.

In March 1999, the authorized representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for Chechen affairs, G. Shpigun, was captured at the Grozny airport. This blatant case showed the complete inconsistency of the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Maskhadov. The federal center decided to strengthen control over the republic. Elite operational units were sent to the North Caucasus, the purpose of which was to fight gangs. From the side of the Stavropol Territory a number of rocket launchers, intended for delivering targeted ground strikes. An economic blockade was also introduced. The flow of cash injections from Russia has sharply decreased. In addition, it has become increasingly difficult for bandits to smuggle drugs abroad and take hostages. There was nowhere to sell the gasoline produced in underground factories. In mid-1999, the border between Chechnya and Dagestan turned into a militarized zone.

The gangs did not abandon their attempts to unofficially seize power. Groups led by Khattab and Basayev made forays into the territory of Stavropol and Dagestan. As a result, dozens of military personnel and police officers were killed.

On September 23, 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin officially signed a decree on the creation of the United Group of Forces. Its goal was to conduct a counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus. Thus began the second Chechen war.

Nature of the conflict

The Russian Federation acted very skillfully. With the help of tactical techniques (luring the enemy into a minefield, surprise raids on small settlements), significant results were achieved. After the active phase of the war had passed, the main goal of the command was to establish a truce and attract the former leaders of the gangs to their side. The militants, on the contrary, relied on giving the conflict an international character, calling on representatives of radical Islam from all over the world to participate in it.

By 2005, terrorist activity had decreased significantly. Between 2005 and 2008, there were no major attacks on civilians or clashes with official troops. However, in 2010, a number of tragic terrorist acts occurred (explosions in the Moscow metro, at Domodedovo airport).

Second Chechen War: Beginning

On June 18, the ChRI carried out two attacks at once on the border in the direction of Dagestan, as well as on a company of Cossacks in the Stavropol region. After this, most of the checkpoints into Chechnya from Russia were closed.

On June 22, 1999, an attempt was made to blow up the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of our country. This fact was noted for the first time in the entire history of the existence of this ministry. The bomb was discovered and promptly defused.

On June 30, the Russian leadership gave permission to use military weapons against gangs on the border with CRI.

Attack on the Republic of Dagestan

On August 1, 1999, the armed detachments of the Khasavyurt region, as well as the citizens of Chechnya supporting them, announced that they were introducing Sharia rule in their region.

On August 2, militants from the ChRI provoked a fierce clash between Wahhabis and riot police. As a result, several people died on both sides.

On August 3, a shootout occurred between police officers and Wahhabis in the Tsumadinsky district of the river. Dagestan. There were some losses. Shamil Basayev, one of the leaders of the Chechen opposition, announces the creation of an Islamic shura, which had its own troops. They established control over several regions in Dagestan. Local authorities of the republic are asking the center to extradite military weapons to protect civilians from terrorists.

The next day, the separatists were driven back from the regional center of Agvali. More than 500 people dug in in positions that had been prepared in advance. They made no demands and did not enter into negotiations. It became known that they were holding three policemen.

At noon on August 4, on the road in the Botlikh district, a group of armed militants opened fire on a squad of Ministry of Internal Affairs officers who were trying to stop a car for an inspection. As a result, two terrorists were killed, and there were no casualties among the security forces. The village of Kekhni was hit by two powerful missile and bomb attacks by Russian attack aircraft. It was there, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that a detachment of militants stopped.

On August 5, it becomes known that a major terrorist attack is being prepared on the territory of Dagestan. 600 militants were going to penetrate into the center of the republic through the village of Kekhni. They wanted to seize Makhachkala and sabotage the government. However, representatives of the center of Dagestan denied this information.

The period from August 9 to 25 was remembered for the battle for the Donkey Ear height. The militants fought with paratroopers from Stavropol and Novorossiysk.

Between September 7 and September 14, large groups led by Basayev and Khattab invaded from Chechnya. The devastating battles continued for about a month.

Air bombing of Chechnya

On August 25, Russian armed forces attacked terrorist bases in the Vedeno Gorge. More than a hundred militants were killed from the air.

From 6 to 18 September Russian aviation continues mass bombing of separatist concentration areas. Despite the protest of the Chechen authorities, the security forces say that they will act as necessary in the fight against terrorists.

On September 23, the forces of central aviation bombed Grozny and its environs. As a result, power plants, oil plants, a mobile communications center, and radio and television buildings were destroyed.

On September 27, V.V. Putin rejected the possibility of a meeting between the presidents of Russia and Chechnya.

Ground operation

Since September 6, Chechnya has been under martial law. Maskhadov calls on his citizens to declare gazavat to Russia.

On October 8, in the village of Mekenskaya, militant Akhmed Ibragimov shot 34 people of Russian nationality. Three of them were children. At the village meeting, Ibragimov was beaten to death with sticks. The mullah forbade his body to be buried.

The next day they occupied a third of the CRI territory and moved on to the second phase of hostilities. The main goal is the destruction of gangs.

On November 25, the President of Chechnya addressed Russian soldiers with a call to surrender and go into captivity.

In December 1999, Russian military forces liberated almost all of Chechnya from militants. About 3,000 terrorists dispersed across the mountains and also hid in Grozny.

Until February 6, 2000, the siege of the capital of Chechnya continued. After the capture of Grozny, massive fighting came to an end.

Situation in 2009

Despite the fact that the counter-terrorism operation was officially stopped, the situation in Chechnya did not become calmer, but on the contrary, it worsened. Incidents of explosions have become more frequent, and militants have become more active again. In the fall of 2009, a number of operations were carried out aimed at destroying gangs. The militants respond with major terrorist attacks, including in Moscow. By mid-2010, there was an escalation of the conflict.

Second Chechen War: results

Any military action causes damage to both property and people. Despite good reasons the second Chechen war, the pain from the death of loved ones cannot be relieved or forgotten. According to statistics, 3,684 people were lost on the Russian side. 2178 representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation were killed. The FSB lost 202 of its employees. More than 15,000 terrorists were killed. The number of civilians killed during the war is not precisely established. According to official data, it is about 1000 people.

Cinema and books about war

The fighting did not leave artists, writers, and directors indifferent. The photographs are dedicated to such an event as the second Chechen war. There are regular exhibitions where you can see works reflecting the destruction left behind by the fighting.

The second one still causes a lot of controversy Chechen War. The film "Purgatory" based on real events, perfectly reflects the horror of that period. The most famous books written by A. Karasev. This " Chechen stories" and "Traitor".

September 30, 1999 first units Russian army entered the territory of Chechnya. The Second Chechen War or - officially - the counter-terrorism operation - lasted almost ten years, from 1999 to 2009. Its beginning was preceded by the attack of militants Shamil Basayev and Khattab on Dagestan and a series of terrorist attacks in Buinaksk, Volgodonsk and Moscow, which occurred from September 4 to 16, 1999.

Russia was shocked by a series of monstrous terrorist attacks in 1999. On the night of September 4, a house in the military town of Buynaksk (Dagestan) was blown up. 64 people were killed and 146 were injured. This terrible crime in itself could not shake up the country; similar precedents in the North Caucasus have become a common occurrence over the years. last years. But subsequent events showed that now residents of not a single Russian city, including the capital, can feel completely safe. The next explosions occurred in Moscow. On the night of September 9-10 and September 13 (at 5 a.m.), two apartment buildings located on the street were blown up along with the sleeping residents. Guryanov (109 people were killed, more than 200 were injured) and on Kashirskoye Highway (more than 124 people were killed). Another explosion occurred in the center of Volgodonsk ( Rostov region), 17 people died here, 310 were injured and injured. According to the official version, the terrorist attacks were carried out by terrorists who were trained in Khattab's sabotage camps on the territory of Chechnya.

These events dramatically changed the mood in society. The average person, faced with an unprecedented threat, was ready to support any forceful action against the breakaway republic. Unfortunately, few people paid attention to the fact that the terrorist attacks themselves became an indicator of the biggest failure of the Russian special services, who were unable to prevent them. In addition, it is difficult to completely exclude the version of involvement of the FSB in the explosions, especially after the mysterious events in Ryazan. Here on the evening of September 22, 1999, bags with hexogen and a detonator were discovered in the basement of one of the houses. On September 24, local security officers detained two suspects, and it turned out that they were active FSB officers from Moscow. Lubyanka urgently announced “conducted anti-terrorist exercises,” and subsequent attempts independent investigation These events were suppressed by the authorities.

Regardless of who was behind what happened mass murder Russian citizens, the Kremlin took full advantage of the events that took place. Now it was no longer about protecting Russian territory proper in the North Caucasus, or even about the blockade of Chechnya, reinforced by the bombing that had already begun. Russian leadership with some delay, it began to implement the plan prepared back in March 1999 for the next invasion of the “rebel republic.”

On October 1, 1999, federal forces entered the territory of the republic. The northern regions (Naursky, Shelkovsky and Nadterechny) were occupied almost without a fight. The Russian leadership decided not to stop at the Terek (as originally planned), but to continue the offensive across the flat part of Chechnya. At this stage, in order to avoid major losses (which could bring down the rating of Yeltsin’s “successor”), the main bet was made on the use heavy weapons, which allowed federal forces to avoid contact battles. In addition to this, the Russian command used negotiation tactics with local elders and field commanders. The former were pressured to withdraw Chechen troops from settlements, threatening, otherwise, massive air and artillery strikes. The latter were offered to go over to the side of Russia and jointly fight the Wahhabis. In some places this tactic was successful. On November 12, the commander of the Vostok group, General G. Troshev, occupied Gudermes, the second largest city of the republic, without a fight; local field commanders, the Yamadayev brothers (two of the three) went over to the side of the federal forces. And the commander of the “West” group, V. Shamanov, preferred forceful methods of resolving problems that arose. Thus, the village of Bamut was completely destroyed as a result of the November assault, but Russian units occupied the regional center of Achkhoy-Martan without a fight.

The “carrot and stick” method used by the federal group worked flawlessly for another reason. In the flat part of the republic, the defense capabilities of the Chechen army were extremely limited. Sh. Basayev was well aware of the advantage of the Russian side in firepower. In this regard, he defended the option of the Chechen army withdrawing to the southern mountainous regions of the republic. Here, federal forces, deprived of the support of armored vehicles and limited in the use of aviation, would inevitably face the prospect of contact battles, which the Russian command stubbornly tried to avoid. The opponent of this plan was Chechen President A. Maskhadov. While continuing to call on the Kremlin for peaceful negotiations, he did not want to surrender the capital of the republic without a fight. Being an idealist, A. Maskhadov believed that large one-time losses during the assault on Grozny would force the Russian leadership to begin peace negotiations.

In the first half of December, federal forces occupied almost the entire flat part of the republic. Chechen troops concentrated in the mountainous regions, but a fairly large garrison continued to hold Grozny, which was captured by Russian troops in early 2000 during stubborn and bloody battles. This ended the active phase of the war. In subsequent years, Russian special forces, together with local loyal forces, were engaged in clearing the territories of Chechnya and Dagestan from the remaining gangs of formations.

The problem of the status of the Chechen Republic by 2003–2004. leaves the current political agenda: the republic returns to the political and legal space of Russia, takes its position as a subject of the Russian Federation, with elected authorities and a procedurally approved republican Constitution. Doubts about the legal validity of these procedures are unlikely to seriously change their results, which decisive degree depend on the ability of the federal and republican authorities to ensure the irreversibility of Chechnya’s transition to the problems and concerns of peaceful life. Two serious threats remain within the framework of such a transition: (a) indiscriminate violence on the part of federal forces, again tying the sympathies of the Chechen population to the cells/practices of terrorist resistance and thereby increasing the dangerous “occupation effect” - the effect of alienation between [Russia] and [ Chechens] as “parties to the conflict”; and (b) the establishment in the republic of a closed authoritarian regime, legitimized and protected by federal authorities and alienated from broad layers/territorial or teip groups of the Chechen population. These two threats are capable of cultivating the soil in Chechnya for the return of mass illusions and actions related to the separation of the republic from Russia.

The head of the republic becomes the Mufti of Chechnya, who defected to Russia, Akhmat Kadyrov, who died on May 9, 2004 as a result of a terrorist attack. His successor was his son, Ramzan Kadyrov.

Gradually, with the cessation of foreign funding and the death of underground leaders, the militants' activity decreased. Federal Center has sent and is sending major cash. Units of the Ministry of Defense and Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are permanently stationed in Chechnya to maintain order in the republic. It is not yet clear whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs troops will remain in Chechnya after the abolition of the CTO.

Assessing the current situation, we can say that the fight against separatism in Chechnya has successfully ended. However, the victory cannot be called final. The North Caucasus is a rather restless region, in which various forces, both local and supported from abroad, are operating, seeking to fan the flames of a new conflict, so the final stabilization of the situation in the region is still far away.

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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;
• source of income new government was the slave trade, the 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. April 21, 1996 – death of the separatist leader Dudayev.
5. 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.
6. 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:

1. Following the results of the first Chechen war, Chechnya remained independent, but no one still recognized it as a separate state.
2. Many cities and settlements were destroyed.
3. Earning income through criminal means has begun to occupy a significant place.
4. 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:

1. Victor Ponomarev. During the battles in Grozny, he covered the sergeant with himself, which saved his life.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Aggravation of the situation on the border with Chechnya

* June 18 - from Chechnya, attacks were carried out on 2 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 stated that “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.”

* July 16 - Commander internal troops The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation V. Ovchinnikov stated that “the issue of creating a buffer zone around Chechnya is being studied.”

Two federal servicemen, Sergeant A.V. Potemkin, a native of Yaroslavl, and Sergeant V.V. Komashko, a native of the village of Burkovtsy, was captured, another sergeant S.G. Reshetkin, a native of Yaroslavl, died as a result of the explosion of an infantry fighting vehicle on a radio-controlled land mine on the western outskirts of the regional center of Achkhoy-Martan. According to a route previously agreed upon with the leadership of the ChRI, an infantry fighting vehicle with Armored military personnel escorted a convoy with medical equipment and drugs from Bamut to Achkhoy-Martan. An explosive device believed to consist of a 122mm artillery shell, was found on the side of the road. The location of the captured soldiers is currently unknown. Media: Gazeta.ru Tuesday, July 28, 1999

* July 23 - Chechen militants attacked an outpost on the territory of Dagestan protecting the Kopayevsky hydroelectric complex. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan stated that “this time the Chechens carried out reconnaissance in force, and large-scale actions by gangs will soon begin along the entire perimeter of the Dagestan-Chechen border.”

* 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 CRI, 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 (see the article Invasion of militants in Dagestan).

* 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 Ichristia 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 - President of the ChRI 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 14 - V. 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. Press service 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 President of Russia and the head of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. “There will be no meetings to let the militants lick their wounds,” he said.

Start of ground operation

* September 30 - armored units of the Russian army from the Stavropol Territory and Dagestan entered the territory of the Naursky and Shelkovsky regions of Chechnya.

* October 4 - at a meeting of the military council of the ChRI, it was decided to form three directions to repel attacks by federal forces. The western direction was headed by Ruslan Gelayev, the eastern direction by Shamil Basaev, and the central direction by Magomed Khambiev.

* October 6 - Maskhadov invited all religious leaders of Chechnya to declare a holy war on Russia - gazavat.

* October 15 - troops of the Western group of General Vladimir Shamanov entered Chechnya from Ingushetia.

* October 16 - federal forces occupied a third of the territory of Chechnya north of the Terek River and began the second stage of the anti-terrorist operation, the main goal of which was the destruction of gangs in the remaining territory of Chechnya.

* October 21 - federal forces launched a missile attack on the central market of the city of Grozny, which killed 140 people

* November 11 - field commanders brothers Yamadayev and Mufti of Chechnya Akhmat Kadyrov surrendered Gudermes to federal forces

* November 17 - the first major losses of federal forces since the beginning of the campaign. A reconnaissance group of the 31st separate airborne brigade was lost near Vedeno (12 dead, 2 prisoners).

* November 18 - according to the NTV television company, federal forces took control of the regional center of Achkhoy-Martan “without firing a single shot.”

* November 25 - President of the ChRI Maskhadov addressed the Russian soldiers fighting in the North Caucasus with an offer to surrender and go over to the side of the militants.

* By December 1999, federal forces controlled the entire flat part of Chechnya. The militants concentrated in the mountains and in Grozny.

* December 8 - federal forces began the assault on Urus-Martan
* December 14 - federal forces occupied Khankala
* December 26, 1999 - February 6, 2000 - siege of Grozny

* December 17 - a large landing of federal forces blocked the road connecting Chechnya with the village of Shatili (Georgia).

* January 9 - militant breakthrough in Shali and Argun. Control of federal forces over Shali was restored on January 11, over Argun - on January 13.

* January 27 - during the battles for Grozny, field commander Isa Astamirov, deputy commander of the southwestern front of the militants, was killed.

* February 9 - federal troops blocked an important center of militant resistance - the village of Serzhen-Yurt, and in the Argun Gorge, so famous since the times Caucasian War, 380 military personnel landed and occupied one of the dominant heights. Federal troops blocked more than three thousand militants in the Argun Gorge.

* February 29 - capture of Shatoy. Maskhadov, Khattab and Basayev again escaped the encirclement. First Deputy Commander of the joint group of federal forces, Colonel General Gennady Troshev, announced the end of a full-scale military operation in Chechnya.

* February 28 - March 2 - Battle at height 776 - breakthrough of militants (Khattab) through Ulus-Kert. The heroic death of paratroopers of the 6th parachute company of the 104th regiment

* March 12 - in the village of Novogroznensky, terrorist Salman Raduev was captured by FSB officers and brought to Moscow, subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment and died in prison.

* October 1 - during a military clash in the Stapromyslovsky district of Grozny, field commander Isa Munayev was killed.

* 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.
* July 11 - in the village of Mayrup, 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 - attack by militants (300 people) on Gudermes, the attack was repulsed. As a result of application missile complex Tochka-U destroyed a group of more than 100 people. An Mi-8 helicopter with a commission was shot down in Grozny General Staff on board (2 generals and 8 officers were killed).
* November 3 - during a special operation, the influential field commander Shamil Iriskhanov, who was part of Basayev’s inner circle, was killed.

* March 20 - as a result of a special operation by the FSB, terrorist Khattab was killed by poisoning.
* April 18 - in his Message Federal Assembly President Vladimir Putin announced the end of the military stage of the conflict in Chechnya.
* May 9 - a terrorist attack occurred in Dagestan during the celebration of Victory Day. 43 people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
* August 19 - Chechen militants using Igla MANPADS shot down a Russian military transport helicopter Mi-26 in the area of ​​the Khankala military base. Of the 152 people on board, 124 died.
* September 23 - Raid on Ingushetia (2002)
* 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 5 - suicide bombing on an electric train in Essentuki.
* December 9 - suicide bombing near the National Hotel (Moscow).
* December 27 - explosion of the Government House in Grozny as a result of a terrorist attack. Over 70 people died. Shamil Basayev took responsibility for the terrorist attack.

* 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 50 people.
* 2003-2004 - Raid on Dagestan by a detachment of bandits under the command of Ruslan Gelayev.

* 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 policemen
* 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 - head of the Chechen administration Akhmat Kadyrov died as a result of a terrorist attack at a parade in honor of Victory Day in Grozny
* June 22 - Raid on Ingushetia
* 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 - Terrorist attack in Beslan, which resulted in the death of over 350 people, including hostages, civilians and military personnel. Half of the dead are children. As of November 23, 2008, this is the last major terrorist attack in Russian history.

* March 8 - during a special operation by the FSB in the village of Tolstoy-Yurt, the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichryssia, Aslan Maskhadov, was eliminated
* May 15 - former vice-president of the CRI 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.
* October 13 - Militant attack on the city of Nalchik (Kabardino-Balkaria), as a result of which, according to Russian authorities, 12 civilians and 35 security forces were killed. According to various sources, from 40 to 124 militants were destroyed.

* 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.
* June 17 - “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 servicemen killed, militants - 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 - terrorist Shamil Basayev was killed in Ingushetia as a result of a special operation (according to other sources, he died due to careless handling of explosives).
* 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 - Seven riot policemen from Mordovia were killed in Chechnya.
* November 26 - the leader of foreign mercenaries in Chechnya, Abu Hafs al-Urdani, was killed in Khasavyurt.

* 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 of the Chechen Republic of Ingushetia, Suleiman Ilmurzaev (call sign “Khairulla”), who was 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 separatists 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.