The most terrible war in history Russian Federation started in 1994. On December 1, 1994, Russian troops entered the territory of the Chechen Republic. It was after these actions that the war in Chechnya began. The first Chechen war lasted 3 years, from 1994 to 1996.

Despite the fact that the war in Chechnya has not left the newspapers and television screens for 3 years, many Russians still do not understand what led to this bloody conflict. Although many books have been written about the war in Chechnya, the reasons for the start of the conflict in Chechnya remain rather vague. After the hostilities in Chechnya ended, the Russians gradually ceased to be interested in this problem.

The beginning of the war in Chechnya, the causes of the conflict

After the collapse of the USSR, a presidential decree was issued, according to which Chechnya received state sovereignty, which could allow it to secede from the Russian Federation. Despite the desire of the people, Chechnya failed to secede from the Russian Federation, since already in 1992 Dudayev seized power, who was very popular among the Chechen people.

Dudayev's popularity was due to his politics. The goals of the Chechen leader were quite simple and appealed to the common people:

1. Unite the entire Caucasus under the flag of the Mountain Republic;
2. Achieve full independence for Chechnya.

Since, after the collapse of the USSR, various ethnic groups living in Chechnya began to openly conflict with each other, the people joyfully welcomed their new leader, whose political program promised to stop all these troubles.

During the 3 years of Dudayev's rule, the republic rolled back decades in development. If 3 years ago there was a relative order in Chechnya, then since 1994, such bodies as the police, courts and the prosecutor's office have completely disappeared in the republic. All this led to the growth organized crime. After 3 years of Dudayev's rule, almost every second criminal in Russia was a resident of the Chechen Republic.

Since, after the collapse of the USSR, many republics decided to break with Russia and follow their own path of development, the Chechen Republic also declared its desire to secede from Russia. Under pressure from the Kremlin elite, Russian President Boris Yeltsin decided to overthrow Dudayev's regime, which was recognized as criminal and openly gangster. On December 11, 1994, Russian soldiers entered the territory of the Chechen Republic, marking the beginning of the Chechen war.

According to the forecasts of the Russian Minister for Nationalities Affairs, the entry of Russian troops into Chechen territory was to be supported by 70 percent of the local population. The fierce resistance of the Chechen people came as a complete surprise to Russian government. Dudayev and his supporters managed to convince the Chechen people that the invasion of Russian troops would only bring enslavement to the republic.

Most likely, the negative attitude of the Chechen people towards the Russian military was formed back in 1944, when the Chechen people were subjected to mass repressions and deportations. Practically in every Chechen family there were dead. People died of cold and hunger, and most never returned to their homeland. The old people still remembered the executions that the Stalinist regime was famous for, and set up the youth to resist to the last drop of blood.

Based on all of the above, one can understand what the essence of the war in Chechnya was:

1. The criminal regime of Dudayev was not satisfied with restoring order in the republic, since the bandits would inevitably have to curtail their activities;
2. Chechnya's decision to secede from the Russian Federation did not suit the Kremlin elite;
3. The desire of the Chechen "top" to create an Islamic state;
4. The protest of Chechens against the entry of Russian troops.

Naturally, oil interests were not in last place.

First Chechen War, chronicles

The first Chechen war began with the fact that Dudayev's militants received reinforcements from those from whom Russia expected help for itself. All Chechen groups that were in opposition to the Dudayev regime suddenly united in the fight against the Russian military. Thus, the operation, which was planned as a short-term one, turned into the first Chechen war, which ended only in 1996.

Chechen fighters were able to offer the Russian army a very worthy resistance. Since after the withdrawal Soviet troops a lot of weapons remained on the territory of the republic, almost all residents of Chechnya were armed. In addition, the militants had well-established channels for the delivery of weapons from abroad. History remembers many cases when the Russian military sold weapons to the Chechens, which they used against them.

The Russian military command had information that Dudayev's Chechen army consisted of only a few hundred fighters, but they did not take into account that more than one participant would come from the Chechen side. Dudayev's army was constantly replenished with opposition members and volunteers from the local population. Modern history has come to the conclusion that about 13 thousand militants fought on the side of Dudayev, not counting the mercenaries who constantly replenished the ranks of their troops.

The first Chechen war began extremely unsuccessfully for Russia. In particular, an operation was undertaken to storm Grozny, as a result of which the war in Chechnya was supposed to end. This attack was undertaken extremely unprofessionally, the Russian command simply threw all its forces into the assault. As a result of this operation, the Russian troops lost almost all available armored vehicles ( total number which was 250 units). Although Russian troops captured Grozny after three months of fierce fighting, this operation showed that the Chechen fighters are a serious force to be reckoned with.

First Chechen war after the capture of Grozny

After Grozny was captured by Russian troops, the war in Chechnya in 1995-1996 moved to the mountains, gorges and villages. The information that the Russian special forces are massacring entire villages is hardly true. Civilians fled to the mountains, and abandoned cities and villages turned into fortifications of militants, who often disguised themselves as civilians. Often, women and children were used to deceive the special forces, who were released towards the Russian troops.

The summer of 1995 was marked by relative calm, as Russian forces took control of the mountainous and lowland regions of Chechnya. In the winter of 1996, the militants made an attempt to recapture the city of Grozny. The war resumed with renewed vigor.

In April, Russian forces were able to locate the militant leader, Dudayev, along with his motorcade. Aviation immediately responded to this information, and the cortege was destroyed. The inhabitants of Chechnya did not believe for a long time that Dudayev had been destroyed, but the remnants of the separatists agreed to sit down at the negotiating table, as a result of which the Khasavyurt agreements were reached.

On August 1, 1996, a document was signed that marked the end of the first Chechen war. The end of the military conflict left devastation and poverty in its wake. Chechnya after the war was a republic in which it was almost impossible to make money by peaceful means. Legally, the Chechen Republic gained independence, although the new state was not officially recognized by any world power, including Russia.

After the Russian troops were withdrawn, Chechnya was covered by the post-war crisis:

1. No one restored the destroyed cities and villages;
2. Regular purges were carried out, as a result of which all representatives of non-Chechen nationality were destroyed or expelled;
3. The economy in the republic was completely destroyed;
4. Gang formations gained actual power in Chechnya.

This state of affairs lasted until 1999, when Chechen fighters decided to invade Dagestan to help the Wahhabis set up an Islamic republic there. This invasion provoked the beginning of the second Chechen campaign, since the creation of an independent Islamic state posed a great danger to Russia.

Second Chechen War

The counterterrorist operation in the North Caucasus, which lasted for 10 years, is unofficially called the second Chechen war. The impetus for the start of this war was the introduction of Russian armed forces on the territory of the Chechen Republic. Although large-scale hostilities lasted only about a year, combat skirmishes continued until 2009.

Although the Khasavyurt agreements at the time of signing suited both sides, peace did not come in the Chechen Republic. As before, Chechnya was ruled by bandits who did business in kidnapping people. Moreover, these kidnappings were massive. The media of those years regularly reported that Chechen gangs had taken hostages for ransom. The bandits did not understand who to capture. The hostages were both Russians and foreigners who worked or covered events in Chechnya. The bandits grabbed everyone:

1. Journalists who were lured with promises to give sensational reports;
2. Red Cross employees who came to help the Chechen people;
3. Religious figures and even those who came to Chechnya for the funeral of their relatives.

In 1998, a French citizen was abducted, who spent 11 months in captivity. In the same year, bandits kidnapped four employees of the company from the UK, who were brutally murdered three months later.

Bandits earned in all areas:

1. Sale of oil stolen from wells and overpasses;
2. Sale, production and transportation of drugs;
3. Making counterfeit banknotes;
4. Act of terrorism;
5. Predatory attacks on neighboring regions.

The main reason for the outbreak of the second Chechen war was the huge number of training camps that trained militants and terrorists. The core of these schools were Arab volunteers who learned military science from professional instructors in Pakistan.

These schools tried to "infect" with the ideas of separatism not only the Chechen people, but also the regions neighboring Chechnya.

The last straw for the Russian government was the kidnapping of the plenipotentiary representative of the Russian Interior Ministry in Chechnya, Gennady Shpigun. This fact became a signal that the Chechen authorities are not able to fight terrorism and banditry, which have spread throughout the republic.

The situation in Chechnya on the eve of the second Chechen war

Before starting hostilities, and not wanting a second Chechen war to break out, the Russian government took a number of measures that were supposed to cut off the flow of money for Chechen bandits and militants:

1. Throughout the territory of the Chechen Republic, self-defense units were created, which received weapons;
2. All militia units were reinforced;
3. Operational officers of the department for combating ethnic crimes were sent to the Caucasus;
4. Several firing points were set up, equipped with rocket launchers designed to deliver pinpoint strikes against a concentration of militants;
5. Severe economic sanctions were adopted against Chechnya, which led to problems with the conduct of criminal business;
6. Border control was strengthened, which affected drug trafficking;
7. Gasoline made from stolen oil has become impossible to sell outside of Chechnya.

In addition, a serious struggle was launched against the criminal groups that financed the militants.

The invasion of Chechen fighters into the territory of Dagestan

Deprived of their main sources of funding, Chechen fighters, under the leadership of Khattab and Basayev, were preparing to seize Dagestan. Beginning in August 1999, they carried out several dozen military operations of a reconnaissance nature, although dozens of military and civilians were killed during these operations. Reconnaissance in force showed that the militants did not have enough strength to break the resistance of the federal troops. Realizing this, the militants decided to strike at the mountainous part of Dagestan, where there were no troops.

On August 7, 1999, Chechen fighters, reinforced by Khattab's Arab mercenaries, invaded the territory of Dagestan. Shamil Basayev, who led the operation along with field commander Khattab, was confident that Chechen fighters, assisted by professional mercenaries associated with al-Qaeda, would easily manage to carry out this invasion. However, the local population did not support the militants, but, on the contrary, resisted them.

While the federal troops of Ichkeria were holding back the Chechen fighters, the Russian leadership offered to conduct a joint military operation against the Islamists. In addition, the Russian side offered to take on the problem of destroying all the bases and warehouses of militants that were located on the territory of Chechnya. President of the Chechen Republic Aslan Maskhadov assured the Russian authorities that he knew nothing about such underground bases on the territory of his country.

Although the confrontation between the federal troops of Dagestan and Chechen fighters lasted a whole month, in the end, the bandits had to retreat to the territory of Chechnya. Suspecting the Russian authorities of military assistance to Dagestan, the militants decided to take revenge.

In the period from 4 to 16 September, several Russian cities, including Moscow, were bombed by residential buildings. Taking these actions as a challenge, and realizing that Aslan Maskhadov is not able to control the situation in the Chechen Republic, Russia decides to conduct a military operation, the purpose of which was the complete destruction of illegal gangs.

On September 18, Russian troops completely blocked the Chechen borders, and on September 23, the President of Russia signed a decree on the creation of a joint group of troops to conduct a large-scale anti-terrorist operation. On the same day, Russian troops began the bombardment of Grozny, and on September 30 they invaded the territory of the republic.

Features of the second Chechen war

During the second Chechen war, the Russian command took into account the mistakes made in 1994-1996 and no longer relied on brute force. The military made bets on military tricks, luring militants into various traps (including minefields), introducing agents into the militants' environment, and so on.

After the main pockets of resistance were broken, the Kremlin began to lure the elite of Chechen society and former authoritative field commanders to its side. The militants relied on gangs of non-Chechen origin. These actions set the Chechen people against them, and when the leaders of the militants were destroyed (closer to 2005), the organized resistance of the militants ceased. In the period from 2005 to 2008, not a single significant terrorist act took place, although after the end of the second Chechen war (in 2010), the militants committed several major terrorist acts.

Heroes and veterans of the Chechen war

The first and second Chechen campaigns were the bloodiest military conflicts in history new Russia. Most of all in this war, reminiscent of the war in Afghanistan, the Russian special forces distinguished themselves. Many, giving their soldier's duty, did not return home. Those military personnel who participated in the hostilities of 1994-1996 were given the status of a veteran.

Many wars are written in 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 horrific results because the authorities solved their own problems, not paying attention to people.

One of those sad pages Russian history- Chechen War. It was not a confrontation between two different peoples. There were no absolute rightists in this war. And the most surprising thing is that this war still cannot be considered completed.

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 pathetically announced by Mikhail Gorbachev, marked the collapse of a vast country consisting of 15 republics. However, the main difficulty for Russia also lay in the fact that, left without satellites, it faced internal unrest that had a nationalist character. The Caucasus turned out to be especially problematic in this respect.

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 as its main goal - secession from the USSR, in the future it was supposed to create the Chechen Republic, independent of any state.

In the summer of 1991, a situation of dual power developed 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.

Such a state of affairs could not exist for a long time, and the same Dzhokhar and his supporters in September seized the republican television center, the Supreme Council and the Radio House. This was the beginning of the revolution. The situation was extremely shaky, and its development was facilitated by the official collapse of the country, carried out by Yeltsin. After the news that Soviet Union no longer exists, 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 the ex-general Dudayev. 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 were quite a lot of ammunition and weapons in the republic. Some of these stocks have already been seized by the separatists. Instead of blocking the situation, the leadership of the Russian Federation allowed it to get out of control even more - in 1992, the head of the Ministry of Defense, Grachev, handed over half of all these stocks to the militants. The authorities explained this decision by the fact that it was no longer possible to withdraw 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 the power of Dudayev. However, after it became clear that these small detachments could not resist the militant formations, the war was practically on.

Yeltsin and his political supporters could no longer do anything, and from 1991 to 1994 it was actually a republic independent of Russia. Here were formed their own authorities, 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 not finally resolved.

Speaking about the war in Chechnya, it should be borne in mind that the illiterate leadership, first of the USSR, and then Russia, was to blame for its unleashing, first of all. It was the weakening of the internal political situation in the country that led to the loosening of the border regions and the strengthening of nationalist elements.

As for the essence of the Chechen war, here there is a conflict of interests and the inability to govern a vast territory on the part of first Gorbachev and then Yeltsin. In the future, this tangled knot had to be untied by people who came to power at the very end of the 20th century.

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 the whole of Russia. However, it should be borne in mind that the two campaigns were quite different in nature.

During the Yeltsin era, when the first Chechen campaign of 1994-1996 was unleashed, Russian troops could not act in a sufficiently coordinated and free manner. The country's leadership solved its problems, moreover, according to some reports, many profited from this war - there were deliveries of weapons to the territory of the republic from the Russian Federation, and the militants often earned by demanding large ransoms for the 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 differed significantly.

On December 1, 1994, air strikes 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. The entrance was carried out immediately from three directions - through Mozdok, through Ingushetia and through Dagestan.

Incidentally, at the time ground forces led by Eduard Vorobyov, but he immediately resigned, considering it unreasonable to lead the operation, since the troops were completely unprepared for full-scale hostilities.

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.

The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Grachev expected to take the city very quickly and therefore spared no human and technical resources. According to researchers, over 1,500 Russian soldiers and many civilians of the republic died or went missing near Grozny. Armored vehicles also suffered serious damage - almost 150 units were out of order.

Nevertheless, after two months of fierce fighting, federal troops still took Grozny. Participants in the hostilities subsequently recalled that the city was destroyed almost to the ground, this is also 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 during the operation in Grozny lost more than 7,000 people and, under the leadership of Shamil Basayev, on March 6 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, Gudermes were taken successively.

The militants responded with terrorist acts carried out in Budyonnovsk and Kizlyar. After varying successes on both sides, a decision was made to negotiate. And as a result, on August 31, 1996, they were concluded. According to them, the federal troops were leaving Chechnya, the infrastructure of the republic was to be restored, and the question of an 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 were a thing of the past, then everything turned out to be wrong. For several years of a dubious truce, gangs have only accumulated strength. In addition, more and more Islamists from Arab countries penetrated 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 gangster groups.

The unwillingness to let the Islamists into their territory and the help of the federal troops forced the Islamists to retreat. True, it took a month for this - the militants were knocked out only in September 1999. At that time, Aslan Maskhadov was in charge of Chechnya, and, unfortunately, he was not capable of exercising full control over the republic.

It was at this time, angry that they failed to break Dagestan, Islamist groups began to carry out terrorist acts on the territory of Russia. Terrible terrorist acts were committed in Volgodonsk, Moscow and Buynaksk, which claimed dozens of lives. Therefore, among those killed in the Chechen war, it is necessary to include those civilians who did not think that it would come to their families.

In September 1999, Yeltsin signed a decree "On Measures to Increase the Efficiency of Counter-Terrorist Operations in the North Caucasus Region of the Russian Federation". And on December 31, he announced his resignation from the presidency.

Power in the country as a result presidential elections 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, they again bombed Grozny and acted much more competently. The experience of the previous campaign was taken into account.

December 1999 is another of the painful and terrible pages of the war. The Argun Gorge, otherwise called the “Wolf Gates”, is one of the largest Caucasian gorges in terms of length. 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 way to supply weapons from the Pankisi Gorge. The operation was completed in February 2000.

Many 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 at the 776th height, when they, in the amount of only 90 people, managed to hold back over 2,000 militants during the day. Most of the paratroopers died, and the militants themselves lost almost a quarter of their composition.

Despite such cases, the second war, unlike the first, can be called sluggish. Perhaps that is why it lasted longer - during the years of these battles, a lot of things happened. The new Russian authorities decided to act differently. They refused to conduct active hostilities conducted by the federal troops. It was decided to use the internal split in Chechnya itself. So, 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 go on indefinitely, decided to use internal political hesitation and persuade the authorities to cooperate. Now we can already say that he succeeded. The fact that on May 9, 2004, the Islamists carried out a terrorist attack in Grozny, aimed at intimidating the population, also played a role. The explosion thundered at the Dynamo stadium during a concert, dedicated to the Day Victory. More than 50 people were wounded, and Akhmat Kadyrov died from his wounds.

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

The counter-terrorist operation regime introduced by Yeltsin on September 23, 1999 was canceled by President Dmitry Medvedev in 2009. Thus, the campaign was officially ended, since it was called not a war, but a CTO. However, is it possible to assume that the veterans of the Chechen war can sleep peacefully if there are still local battles and terrorist acts 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 people died in the Chechen war. The problem is that any calculations will only be approximate. During the escalation 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.

If military losses can still be more or less calculated, then no one has been involved in clarifying the losses on the part of 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, then 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 dead among the civilian population. At the same time, Amnesty International (a non-governmental organization international level) gives completely different figures - about 25,000 people. The difference in these data, as you can see, is huge.

The result of the war can be called not only impressive numbers of losses among the dead, wounded, missing people. It is also a ruined republic - after all, many cities, primarily Grozny, were subjected to artillery shelling and bombing. The entire infrastructure was practically destroyed in them, 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. Other settlements of the republic were also rebuilt.

Anyone who is interested in this information can find out what happened on the territory between 1994 and 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 are unlikely to want to immerse themselves in what they have already experienced. The country was able to withstand this most difficult period of its history, and once again proved what is more important for them - dubious calls for independence or unity with Russia.

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

The second Chechen war also had an official name - the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, or KTO for short. But it is the common name that 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 entry of the Armed Forces of the 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 the attacks. In subsequent years, the second Chechen war took on the character of local skirmishes between separatists and Russian soldiers. 2009 was marked by the official abolition of the CTO regime.
The second Chechen war brought a lot of destruction. The photographs taken by journalists testify to this in the best possible way.

background

The first and second Chechen wars have a small time gap. After the Khasavyurt agreement was signed in 1996, and Russian troops were withdrawn from the republic, the authorities expected calm to come. However, peace has not been established in Chechnya.
Criminal structures have significantly stepped up their activities. They did an impressive business on such a criminal act as kidnapping for ransom. Their victims were both Russian journalists and official representatives, as well as members of foreign public, political and religious organizations. The bandits did not disdain the kidnapping of people who came to Chechnya for the funeral of loved ones. So, 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 the theft of oil, drug trafficking, production and distribution of counterfeit money. They committed acts of violence and kept the civilian population in fear.

In March 1999, G. Shpigun, an authorized representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for Chechnya, was captured at the Grozny airport. This egregious case showed the complete inconsistency of the President of the CRI, Maskhadov. federal center It was decided to strengthen control over the republic. Elite operational units were sent to the North Caucasus, the purpose of which was to fight against bandit formations. From the side Stavropol Territory a number of rocket launchers were put up, designed to deliver pinpoint 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 abroad drugs and take hostages. Gasoline produced in clandestine factories had nowhere to sell. In mid-1999, the border between Chechnya and Dagestan turned into a militarized zone.

Bandit formations did not abandon attempts to unofficially seize power. Groups under the leadership of Khattab and Basayev made forays into the territory of Stavropol and Dagestan. As a result, dozens of servicemen 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.

The nature of the conflict

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

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

Second Chechen War: Beginning

On June 18, CRI carried out two attacks at once on the border in the direction of Dagestan, as well as on a company of Cossacks in Stavropol. After that, most of the checkpoints to 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 located and promptly defused.

On June 30, the Russian leadership gave permission to use military weapons against gangs on the border with the 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 CRI provoked a violent clash between Wahhabis and riot police. As a result, several people died on both sides.

On August 3, a shootout took place between policemen and Wahhabis in the Tsumadinsky district of the river. Dagestan. There were no losses. Shamil Basayev, one of the leaders of the Chechen opposition, announced the creation of an Islamic shura that had its own troops. They established control over several districts in Dagestan. The local authorities of the republic are asking the center for the issuance of military weapons to protect the civilian population from terrorists.

The next day, the separatists were driven back from the regional center of Aghvali. More than 500 people dug in in positions that had been prepared in advance. They did not put forward any demands and did not enter into negotiations. it became known that they were holding three policemen.

At noon on August 4, on the road of the Botlikh region, a group of armed militants opened fire on a line of police 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. By locality Kekhni was hit by two powerful missile and bomb strikes 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 act is being prepared on the territory of Dagestan. 600 militants were going to penetrate 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 by the battle for the Donkey Ear height. The militants fought with paratroopers from Stavropol and Novorossiysk.

Between September 7 and 14, large groups invaded from Chechnya under the leadership of Basayev and Khattab. The devastating battles continued for about a month.

Bombing of Chechnya from the air

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

In the period from 6 to 18 September Russian aviation continues mass bombardment of separatist gathering places. Despite the protest of the Chechen authorities, the security forces say they will act as necessary in the fight against terrorists.

On September 23, Grozny and its environs are bombarded by central aviation forces. As a result, power plants, oil refineries, a mobile communication center, radio and television buildings were destroyed.

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

Ground operation

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

On October 8, in the village of Mekenskaya, a militant Ibragimov Akhmed shot 34 people of Russian nationality. Of these, three were children. At the gathering of the village of Ibragimov, they beat him to death with sticks. Mulla forbade his body to be buried in the earth.

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 appealed to Russian soldiers to surrender and go into captivity.

In December 1999, Russian combat forces liberated almost all of Chechnya from militants. About 3,000 terrorists dispersed over 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 battles came to naught.

Situation in 2009

Despite the fact that the counter-terrorist operation was officially terminated, the situation in Chechnya did not become calmer, but, on the contrary, became aggravated. Cases of explosions became more frequent, militants became more active again. In the autumn of 2009, a number of operations were carried out aimed at the destruction of gangs. The militants respond with major terrorist acts, including in Moscow. By mid-2010, the conflict was escalating.

Second Chechen War: results

Any hostilities cause damage to both property and people. Despite the compelling reasons for the second Chechen war, the pain of the death of loved ones cannot be eased or forgotten. According to statistics, 3684 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 people were killed among the terrorists. The number of civilians who died during the war is not exactly established. According to official figures, it is about 1000 people.

Movies and books about the war

The fighting did not leave indifferent and artists, writers, directors. Dedicated to such an event as the second Chechen war, photographs. Exhibitions are held regularly, where you can see works that reflect the destruction left after the battles.

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

December 11, 1994 began the 1st Chechen war. The background of the conflict and the chronicle of hostilities in Chechnya in the review of the Military Pro, dedicated to the anniversary of the start of the war. This conflict can be called a sad symbol of that Russia, which has not yet found itself, which was at a crossroads, in the timelessness between the collapse of one great power and the birth of a new Russia.

Reasons for the start of the Chechen war

The collapse of the Soviet Union into separate states occurred in different ways. There were even local territorial conflicts, but only the North Caucasus came to an open war.

In the last months of the existence of the USSR in Checheno-Ingushetia former general Air Force Dzhokhar Dudayev created the organization National Congress of the Chechen people. It set as its main task the withdrawal of the republic from the Union and the proclamation of its complete independence in all respects.

After the failure of the putschists in Moscow, the Dudayevites announced the dissolution of all allied authorities and on September 6, 1991, seized all government buildings in Grozny, as well as the Radio House and the television center.

After the final legal liquidation of the USSR, Dzhokhar Dudayev declared the independence of Chechnya and was elected the first president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. The Russian government did not recognize the elections, and Boris Yeltsin issued a decree declaring a state of emergency in the territories controlled by the separatists.

But numerous crowds of residents poured into the streets, blocking military units, police stations, KGB buildings and all major transport hubs, so that the introduction of the state of emergency was thwarted.

As a result of a three-day debate in the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, a decision was made to withdraw all paramilitary units from Chechnya. At the same time, the separatists got a large number of weapons and equipment, which could not be withdrawn due to the lack of transport.

It is noteworthy that the Republic of Ingushetia separated from Chechnya and chose to become part of the Russian Federation, so that in fact only Chechnya became an "independent" state, which was not recognized by any country in the world.

Because of this, the state could not establish any international relations, people suffered from rampant banditry and unemployment. The crime situation was at an extremely high level and the authorities could not establish a normal life.

The Russian-speaking population of Chechnya found itself in a distressed situation, virtually abandoned by the federal authorities. The period from 1992 to 1994 is a dark page in the history of Russians in Chechnya.

According to numerous testimonies of that time, the position of the Slavic national minority in Chechnya was unenviable.

Because of this, opposition to the power of Dzhokhar Dudayev arose in the country, which organized itself into the Provisional Council of the Chechen Republic. No one managed to win in the political field, so a civil war broke out in the summer of 1994. The Russian government unofficially supported the VSChR, since with their help it was possible to overthrow the power of Dudayev and return Chechnya to the Federation.

Officially, the date of the beginning of the 1st Chechen war in all sources is December 11, 1994. But in fact, since November, federal troops have been taking part in civil war on the side of the opposition. In particular, as a result of the assault on Grozny on November 26, 1994, 68 Russian servicemen were captured by the Dudaevites. The militants promised to shoot everyone if the Russian Federation did not officially recognize itself as a party to the conflict.

As a result, some of the soldiers were released, but their number did not exceed 30 people. At the same time, only 21 people were identified by name, so the authorities do not recognize such a large number of prisoners.

Footage of Russian soldiers was shown on television around the clock, which caused a great public outcry. Therefore, Boris Yeltsin on December 11 issued a decree "On measures to ensure the rule of law, law and order and public safety on the territory of the Chechen Republic."

It is from this event that the date of the beginning of the Chechen war comes. Moreover, it was originally planned a short-term campaign and the defeat of the army of Ichkeria in a few days. The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation even stated that the Russian army could solve the problem within a few hours.

But the beginning of the Chechen war quickly cooled the ardor of politicians and military officials. In just two days of fighting, the federal troops lost about two hundred people, although no one officially recognized such losses.

Moreover, more than half of the fighters died on the march, when columns of troops from ambushes attacked the "flying squads" of militants. From the first day of the war, Dzhokhar Dudayev decided to conduct guerrilla war, which, with such a balance of power, was the only right decision.

The beginning of the First Chechen War confirmed the unwillingness of the command to develop the right tactics and effectively use intelligence. Columns of troops fell into ambush over and over again, suffering huge losses in manpower and equipment. Failures on the battlefield undermined the morale of the army, which felt abandoned to its fate. Anti-war sentiments in society also grew.

The beginning of the Chechen war in 1994 was accompanied not only by hostilities in the North Caucasus, but also by terrorist acts in Russian cities. In this way, the militants tried to intimidate the civilian population and force people to influence the government in order to achieve the withdrawal of troops. They failed to sow panic, but many still hardly remember those times.

Another remarkable fact after the start of the war in Chechnya in 1994 was the ability of some field commanders to perfectly prepare traps and get out of the battles with virtually no losses. The thing is that the backbone of the army of Ichkeria was made up of soldiers and officers of the Soviet troops, who were baptized by fire in Afghanistan and were well versed in the tactical intricacies of warfare.

And the warehouses with weapons and ammunition left during the withdrawal of Russian forces made it possible to effectively defend on all sectors of the fronts.

The disastrous start of the First Chechen War in 1994 forced the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to urgently introduce additional forces and establish interaction between all branches of the military. After that, the first victories went, and the federal forces began to quickly move deep into the separatist possessions.

The result was an exit to the suburbs of Grozny and the beginning of the assault on the capital on December 31, 1994. In the bloody and fierce battles that lasted until March 6, 1995, Russia lost about one and a half thousand soldiers killed and up to 15 thousand wounded.

But the fall of the capital did not break the resistance of the separatists, so the main tasks were not completed. Before the start of the war in Chechnya main goal the liquidation of Dzhokhar Dudayev was staged, since the resistance of the militants largely rested on his authority and charisma.

Destruction of Dzhokhar Dudayev

After several unsuccessful attempts to destroy the president, he was assassinated on April 21, 1996. To do this, a homing missile was used, which tracked the signal of the general's cell phone when he turned it on to make several calls.

According to unofficial data, several million dollars were spent on the operation, the creation of weapons and the search for informants, which at that time was a fairly significant amount.

The death of the actual "father of Ichkeria" brought confusion to the ranks of the separatists, but they did not stop the armed resistance. The militants were able to recover from the loss by August, when, having gathered their strength, they carried out Operation Jihad. From August 6 to August 22, 1996, federal forces completely or partially lost control over Argun, Gudermes and Grozny.

During the fighting, the losses amounted to about 500 people dead and one and a half thousand wounded of varying severity. Nevertheless, even in these difficult days, heroes were born who are still remembered.

The events of August 1996 are a sad page in Russian history. A number of events and facts suggest a betrayal of Russia's interests in the high echelons of power of that period.

Timeline of the first Chechen war

• December 11, 1994 - troops of the United Group of Forces of Russia enter Chechnya from three directions;


• December 12 - The Mozdok grouping of the OGV takes up positions 10 km from Grozny;


• December 15 - The Kizlyar group occupies Tolstoy-Yurt;


• December 19 - The Western group bypasses the Sunzhensky Range and encircles Grozny from the west;


• December 20 - The Mozdok group blocks the capital of Chechnya from the northwest;


• December 20 - The Kizlyar group blocks the city from the east, the 104th Guards. PDP blocks the Argun Gorge. Lieutenant General Kvashnin becomes commander of the OGV;


• December 24 - 28 - the battle for Khankala;


• December 31, 1994 - the beginning of the assault on Grozny;


• January 7, 1995 - change of tactics of the federal forces. Supported by aviation and artillery, air assault mobile groups came to replace armored groups that were not effective in urban combat;


• January 9 - the airport is busy;


• January 19 - the Presidential Palace is taken;


• February 1 - Colonel-General Kulikov becomes commander of the OGV;


• February 3 - the creation of the southern grouping of the OGV, the beginning of attempts to block Grozny from the south;


• February 9 - exit to federal highway Rostov-Baku;


• March 6, 1995 - Grozny came under the full control of the Federal Forces;


• March 10 - the beginning of the battles for Bamut;


• March 23 - Argun taken;


• March 30 - Shali is taken;


• March 31 - Gudermes is taken;


• April 7 - 8 - operation in the village of Samashki;


• April 28 - May 11 - suspension of hostilities;


• May 12 - the beginning of the fighting for Chiri-Yurt and Serzhen-Yurt;


• June 3 - the capture of Vedeno;


• June 12 - Nozhai-Yurt and Shatoi were taken;


• June 14 - 19, 1995 - a terrorist attack in Budyonnovsk;


• June 19 - 30 - 2 stages of negotiations between the Russian and Chechen sides, a moratorium on the conduct of hostilities, the beginning of a partisan and sabotage war throughout Chechnya, local battles;


• July 19 - Lieutenant-General Romanov becomes commander of the OGV;


• October 6 - attempt on the life of Lieutenant General Romanov;


• December 10 - 20 - active battles for Gudermes;


• January 9 - 18, 1996 - terrorist attack in Kizlyar;


• March 6 - 8 - fighting in the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny;


• April 16 - an ambush on a column of the Russian army in the Argun Gorge (the village of Yaryshmardy);


• April 21, 1996 - the liquidation of Dzhokhar Dudayev;


• May 24 - the final capture of Bamut;


• May - July 1996 - negotiation process;


• July 9 - the resumption of hostilities;


• August 6 - 22 - operation "Jihad";


• August 6 - 13 - militants invade Grozny, blocking federal forces in the city;


• from August 13 - the unblocking of checkpoints of the United Forces, the encirclement of Maskhadov's forces;


• August 17 - General Pulikovsky's ultimatum;


• August 20 - Lieutenant-General Tikhomirov, Commander of the United Forces, returns from vacation. Condemnation in Moscow of Pulikovsky's ultimatum;


• August 31 - signing of the Khasavyurt agreements. End of the First Chechen War.

Khasavyurt agreements of 1996

After the events of August and their ambiguous coverage in the media mass media, society once again spoke in favor of ending the war. On August 31, 1996, the Khasavyurt peace agreement was signed, according to which the issue of the status of Chechnya was postponed for 5 years, and all federal forces had to immediately leave the territory of the republic.

The outbreak of the First War in Chechnya was supposed to bring a quick victory, but instead the Russian army lost more than 5 thousand people killed, about 16 thousand wounded and 510 missing. There are other figures in which irretrievable losses range from 4 to 14 thousand military personnel.

Killed militants number from 3 to 8 thousand, and the loss of the civilian population is estimated at 19-25 thousand people. The maximum losses, therefore, can be estimated at 47 thousand people, and of the tasks set, only the liquidation of Dudayev was successful.

The 1st Chechen war still serves as a symbol of "Yeltsin's Russia" - troubled period in our recent history. We do not undertake to unequivocally judge whether the signing of the Khasavyurt agreement (and the events that preceded it in August 1996) was a betrayal, but it is obvious that it did not solve the problems in Chechnya.