2 Chechen conflict. The war in Chechnya is a black page in the history of Russia

The conflict, called the Second Chechen War, occupies a special place in the history of modern Russia. Compared to the First Chechen War (1994-1996), this conflict was aimed at solving the same problem: establishing state power and constitutional order in the region, which was controlled by supporters of separatism, through military force.

At the same time, the situation that developed during the period between the two “Chechen” wars changed both in Chechnya itself and at the level of the Russian federal government. Therefore, the Second Chechen War took place under different conditions and was able, although it dragged on for almost 10 years, to end with a positive result for the Russian government.

Reasons for the start of the Second Chechen War

In short, the main reason for the second Chechen war was the mutual dissatisfaction of the parties with the results of the previous conflict and the desire to change the situation in their favor. The Khasavyurt agreements, which ended the First Chechen War, provided for the withdrawal of federal troops from Chechnya, meaning the complete loss of Russian control over this territory. At the same time, legally there was no talk of any “independent Ichkeria”: the question of the status of Chechnya was only postponed until December 31, 2001.

The official government of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (CRI), led by Aslan Maskhadov, did not receive diplomatic recognition from any country and at the same time was rapidly losing influence within Chechnya itself. In the three years after the first military conflict, the territory of the CRI became a base not only for criminal gangs, but also for radical Islamists from Arab countries and Afghanistan.

It was these forces, controlled only by their “field commanders” and who found powerful military and financial support from the outside, that by the beginning of 1999 openly declared their refusal to obey Maskhadov. These same paramilitary groups began to actively engage in kidnapping for subsequent ransom or slavery, drug trafficking and organizing terrorist attacks, despite the proclaimed norms of Sharia.

To ideologically justify their actions, they used Wahhabism, which, combined with aggressive methods of instilling it, turned into a new extremist movement. Under this cover, radical Islamists, having established themselves in Chechnya, began to expand their influence into neighboring regions, destabilizing the situation throughout the North Caucasus. At the same time, individual incidents developed into increasingly large-scale armed clashes.

Parties to the conflict

In the new confrontation that arose between the Russian government and the CRI, the most active party was the paramilitary formations of the Wahhabi Islamists, led by their “field commanders,” the most influential among whom were Shamil Basayev, Salman Raduev, Arbi Baraev and the native Saudi Arabia Khattab. The number of militants controlled by radical Islamists was estimated as the most massive among the armed formations operating in the CRI, covering 50-70% of their total number.

In the same time whole line Chechen teips (tribal clans), while remaining committed to the idea of “independent Ichkeria,” did not want an open military conflict with the Russian authorities. Maskhadov followed this policy until the outbreak of the conflict, but then he could count on maintaining the status of the official power of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and, accordingly, continue to convert this position into a source of income for his teip, which controls the key oil companies of the republic, and only on the side of opponents of the Russian government. Armed formations numbering up to 20-25% of all militants operated under his control.

In addition, supporters of teips led by Akhmat Kadyrov and Ruslan Yamadayev, who back in 1998 entered into open conflict with the Wahhabis, represented a significant force. They could rely on their own armed forces, covering up to 10-15% of all Chechen militants, and in the Second Chechen War they sided with the federal troops.

Important changes occurred in the highest echelon of Russian power shortly before the start of the Second Chechen War. On August 9, 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin announced the appointment of FSB Director Vladimir Putin to the post of head of government, publicly introducing him as a further successor to his post. For Putin, little-known at that time, the invasion of Islamist militants in Dagestan, and then the terrorist attacks with explosions of residential buildings in Moscow, Volgodonsk and Buinaksk, the responsibility for which was assigned to Chechen gangs, became a significant reason to strengthen his power through a large-scale counter-terrorism operation (CTO). .

Since September 18, the borders of Chechnya have been blocked by Russian troops. The Presidential Decree on the conduct of the CTO was promulgated on September 23, although the first movements of army units, internal troops and the FSB, included in the grouping of federal forces in the North Caucasus, began at least two days earlier.

Combat tactics on both sides

Unlike the Chechen war of 1994-1996, to conduct the second military campaign in Chechnya, the federal group much more often resorted to new tactics, which consisted of taking advantage of heavy weapons: missiles, artillery, and especially aviation, which the Chechen militants did not have . This was facilitated by a significantly increased level of training of troops, in the recruitment of which it was possible to achieve a minimal involvement of conscripts. Of course, it was impossible to fully replace conscripts with contract soldiers in those years, but in most cases the “voluntary-order” mechanism with contracts for a “combat mission” covered conscripts who had already served for about a year.

Federal troops widely used methods of setting up various ambushes (usually practiced only by special forces units in the form of reconnaissance and strike groups), including:

waiting for ambushes on 2-4 of the possible routes of movement of militants;
mobile ambushes, when only observation groups were located in convenient places for them, and assault groups were located deep in the area of operation;
driven ambushes, in which a demonstrative attack was intended to force militants to the site of another ambush, often equipped with booby traps;
decoy ambushes, where a group of military personnel openly carried out some actions to attract the attention of the enemy, and mines or main ambushes were set up on the routes of his approach.

According to the calculations of Russian military experts, one of these ambushes, having 1-2 ATGM systems, 1-3 grenade launchers, 1-2 machine gunners, 1-3 snipers, 1 infantry fighting vehicle and 1 tank, was capable of defeating a “standard” bandit group of up to 50 -60 people with 2-3 units of armored vehicles and 5-7 vehicles without armor.

The Chechen side included hundreds of experienced militants who were trained under the guidance of military advisers from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia in the methods of various sabotage and terrorist actions, including:

avoiding direct confrontations in open areas with superior forces;
skillful use of terrain, setting up ambushes in tactically advantageous places;
attacking the most vulnerable targets with superior forces;
quick change of base locations;
rapid concentration of forces to solve important problems and their dispersal when there is a threat of blockade or defeat;
use as cover for civilians;
hostage taking outside the zone of armed conflict.

Militants widely used mine-explosive devices to limit the movement of troops and sabotage, as well as the actions of snipers.

Units and types of equipment used in combat operations

The start of the war was preceded, like the actions of the US and Israeli armies in similar conditions, by massive rocket and artillery shelling and air strikes on enemy territory, the targets of which were strategic economic and transport infrastructure facilities, as well as fortified military positions.

Not only the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, but also military personnel of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and FSB officers took part in the further conduct of the CTO. In addition, special forces units of all Russian “security” departments, individual airborne brigades, including those assigned to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Russian Ministry of Defense, were actively involved in participation in hostilities.

Second Chechen War 1999-2009 became a place where the army and special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs tested some new types of small arms, albeit in relatively modest quantities. Among them:

9-mm silent assault rifle AS “Val” with a folded butt;
9-mm silent sniper rifle VSS "Vintorez";
9-mm automatic silent pistol APB with stock;
RGO and RGN grenades.

In terms of military equipment in service with the federal forces, military experts gave the best marks to helicopters, which, in fact, reflected the Soviet experience of successful operations in Afghanistan. Among the Russian troops equipped with modern equipment that has proven to be effective, electronic intelligence units should also be noted.

At the same time, the tanks, represented by the T-72 models in modifications AB, B, B1, BM and a small number of T-80 BV, having quite successfully conquered open terrain, again suffered significant losses (49 out of about 400) in street battles in Grozny .

Chronology of the war

The question of when exactly the Second Chechen War began remains open among specialists. A number of publications (mostly earlier in time) generally combine the First and Second Chechen Wars, considering them two phases of the same conflict. Which is unlawful, since these conflicts differ significantly in their historical conditions and the composition of the warring parties.

More compelling arguments are made by those who consider the invasion of Chechen Islamist militants into Dagestan in August 1999 to be the beginning of the Second Chechen War, although this can also be considered a local conflict not directly related to the operations of federal troops on the territory of Chechnya. At the same time, the “official” date of the start of the entire war (September 30) is tied to the beginning of the ground operation on the territory controlled by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, although attacks on this territory began on September 23.

From March 5 to March 20, over 500 militants, having captured the village of Komsomolskoye in the Urus-Martan region, attempted to break through the ring of federal troops who blocked and then stormed this settlement. Almost all of them were killed or captured, but the core of the gang was able to escape from encirclement under their cover. After this operation, the active phase of military operations in Chechnya is considered completed.

Storm of Grozny

On November 25-28, 1999, Russian troops blocked Grozny, leaving a “humanitarian corridor” that was nevertheless subject to periodic air attacks. The command of the federal forces officially announced the decision to abandon the assault on the capital of the Chechen Republic, placing troops 5 kilometers from the city. Aslan Maskhadov left Grozny along with his headquarters on November 29.

Federal forces entered certain residential areas on the outskirts of the Chechen capital on December 14, maintaining a “humanitarian corridor.” On December 26, the active stage of the operation to take the city under the control of Russian troops began, which initially developed without much opposition, especially in the Staropromyslovsky district. It was only on December 29 that fierce battles broke out for the first time, resulting in noticeable losses for the “federals.” The pace of the offensive slowed down somewhat, but the Russian army continued to clear more residential areas of militants, and on January 18 they were able to capture the bridge over the Sunzha River.

The capture of another strategically important point - the Minutka Square area - continued during several assaults and fierce counterattacks by militants from January 17 to January 31. The turning point of the assault on Grozny was the night from January 29 to 30, when the main forces of the armed formations of the Chechen Republic of Ichnia, a group of up to 3 thousand people led by well-known “field commanders,” having suffered significant losses, broke through along the Sunzha riverbed towards the mountainous regions of Chechnya.

In the following days, federal troops, who had previously controlled just over half of the city, completed its liberation from the remnants of the militants, encountering resistance mainly from a few enemy sniper ambushes. With the capture of the Zavodsky district on February 6, 2000, Putin, by that time the acting president of the Russian Federation, announced the victorious completion of the assault on Grozny.

Guerrilla war 2000-2009

Many militants managed to escape from the besieged capital of the Chechen Republic; their leadership announced the beginning guerrilla warfare It's already February 8th. After this, and until the official end of the offensive of the federal troops, only two cases of long-term large-scale clashes were noted: in the villages of Shatoy and Komsomolskoye. After March 20, 2000, the war finally entered the guerrilla stage.

The intensity of hostilities at this stage steadily decreased, periodically escalating only in moments of individual cruel and daring terrorist attacks that occurred in 2002-2005. and committed outside the conflict zone. The hostage takings in the Moscow “Nord-West” and in the Beslan school, and the attack on the city of Nalchik were staged as a demonstration by Islamist militants that the conflict was far from ending soon.

The period from 2001 to 2006 was more often accompanied by reports from the Russian authorities about the liquidation by the special services of one of the most famous “field commanders” of Chechen militants, including Maskhadov, Basayev and many others. Ultimately, a long-term decrease in tension in the region made it possible to end the CTO regime on the territory of the Chechen Republic on April 15, 2009.

Results and truce

In the period after an active military operation Russian leadership relied on the massive recruitment of civilians and former Chechen fighters to its side. The most prominent and influential figure among the former opponents of the federal troops during the First Chechen War was the Mufti of the Chechen Republic of Ichryssia, Akhmat Kadyrov. Having previously condemned Wahhabism, in the current conflict he actively showed himself during the peaceful transition of Gudermes to the control of the “federals”, and then headed the administration of the entire Chechen Republic after the end of the Second Chechen War.

Under the leadership of A. Kadyrov, elected President of the Chechen Republic, the situation in the republic quickly stabilized. At the same time, Kadyrov's activities have made him a central target for militant attacks. On May 9, 2004, he died after a terrorist attack during a mass event at the Grozny stadium. But the authority and influence of the Kadyrov teip remained, as evidenced by the election of Akhmat Kadyrov’s son Ramzan to the post of President of the republic, who continued the course of cooperation between the Chechen Republic and the federal government.

Total number of deaths on both sides

Official statistics on losses following the Second Chechen War have caused many criticisms and cannot be considered fully accurate. However, informational resources militants who had taken refuge abroad and individual representatives of the Russian opposition reported completely unreliable information on this matter. Based primarily on assumptions.

Grozny in our time

After the end of active hostilities in Chechnya, the need arose to restore the republic practically from ruins. This was especially true of the capital of the republic, where after several assaults there were almost no entire buildings left. Serious funding from the federal budget was allocated for this, sometimes reaching 50 billion rubles a year.

In addition to residential and administrative buildings, social facilities and urban infrastructure, much attention was paid to the restoration of cultural centers and historical monuments. Some of the buildings in the center of Grozny in the area of Mira Street were restored in the same form as they were at the time of construction in the 1930-1950s.

To date, the capital of the Czech Republic is a modern and very beautiful city. One of its new symbols of the city was the “Heart of Chechnya” mosque, built after the war. But the memory of the war remains: in the design of Grozny for its 201st anniversary in the fall of 2010, installations with black and white photographs of these places destroyed after hostilities appeared.

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

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

Prerequisites for the start of the war in Chechnya

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First Chechen war 1994-1996

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

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

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

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

By the way, at that time Ground forces Eduard Vorobyov was in charge, but he immediately resigned, considering it unwise to lead the operation, since the troops were completely unprepared for full-scale combat operations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second Chechen campaign 1999–2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results and consequences for the history of Russia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Causes of the Chechen conflict

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

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

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

Other reasons stemming from the main one:

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

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

Chronicle of the first Chechen war

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

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

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

Consequences of the first Chechen campaign

Brief results of the war:

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

There was also a rise in Wahhabism.

Table “Losses in the Chechen War”

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

The approximate losses of the parties look like this:

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

Heroes of Russia in the Chechen war

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

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

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

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

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

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

The “Second Chechen War” (officially called the counter-terrorism operation (CTO) - the common name for military operations on the territory of Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus. Began on September 30, 1999 (the date of the entry of Russian troops into Chechnya). The active phase of military operations lasted from 1999 to 2000 year, then as control is established Armed forces Russia over the territory of Chechnya has developed into a smoldering conflict, which actually continues to this day. From 0 o'clock on April 16, 2009, the CTO regime was cancelled.

North Caucasian Federal District - North Caucasus Federal District

The second Chechen war began

August 1999, Chechen militants attacked the Republic of Dagestan of the Russian Federation, this is how the second Chechen war began, terrorist attacks, attacks and incidents also entered new stage from that moment on, many innocent Russians died in August of this year, becoming victims of terrorists.
link: http://russian.people.com.cn/ 31519/6735684.html

Living history: the beginning of the second Chechen war

It is difficult to name the starting point of the beginning of the war in Chechnya. What will it be? The first militant attacks on Dagestan? Maskhadov's introduction of martial law in CRI? The beginning of our aviation's bombing of militant bases? Explosions of residential buildings in Buinaksk, Moscow and Volgodonsk? Or the start of a ground operation by the Russian army?
link: http://www.livejournal.ru/ themes/id/21516

Dagestan. Beginning of the second Chechen war

On August 7, 1999, a 1,500-strong group under the command of Shamil Basayev invaded the territory of Dagestan. The militants immediately captured a number of villages in the Botlikh and Tsumadinsky regions. There were no Russian garrisons there, and the small local police offered no resistance. The militants immediately began to fortify themselves in the captured territory, intending to use it as a springboard for a further offensive. Their next goal was to unite with their allies - armed Wahhabi detachments concentrated in the area of the villages of Karamakhi and Chabanmakhi.
link: http://www.warchechnya.ru/ load

Second Chechen war. Beginning of the Chechen crisis

The Chechen crisis is a complex, multifactorial phenomenon. Many of its components are still difficult to assess objectively today. In general, such events cannot have an unambiguous interpretation; each participant has their own truth. At the same time, the current degree of study of the problem allows us to draw a number of conclusions. The events of August 1991 in Moscow, followed by the collapse of the USSR, provided the multinational people of the Chechen Republic with a unique chance to change the regime of the communist bureaucracy to a democratic system of power through a constitutional means, determine the status of the republic through a referendum, find an acceptable form of relations with the Russian Federation, thereby gradually gaining real economic and political independence within the framework of a renewed federation.
link: http://www.seaofhistory.ru/shists-940-1.html

The causes of the second Chechen war from Maskhadov’s point of view

Ten years ago the second Chechen war began. A war that, contrary to official statements, has not yet ended.

Below I publish excerpts from the transcript of an audio letter sent in 2000 by Aslan Maskhadov to his friend and colleague in the Soviet army, who asked not to use his name.
link: http://01vyacheslav. livejournal.com/7700.html

The Second Chechen War: Russia in the Face of Terror

After the tragedy at Dubrovka, the Kremlin hastened to announce “the success of a unique operation to free the hostages.” Instead of serious organizational conclusions regarding the leadership of law enforcement agencies and intelligence services who allowed militants into Moscow, awards followed. Thus, the title of Hero of Russia was given to FSB generals V. Pronichev and A. Tikhonov. The first is deputy. the director of the FSB and the head of the headquarters for the release of hostages on Dubrovka, the second is the head of the FSB special forces center (which includes the Alpha and Vympel divisions). In less than 2 years, these same people will “check in” in Beslan - they will not become Heroes twice, but they will also not bear responsibility for the failed assault and numerous casualties among the hostages. More on this below.
link: http://www.voinenet.ru/voina/istoriya-voiny/784.html

The second is Chechen. For Putin?

On September 23, 1999, the presidential decree “On measures to increase the effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation” was signed. According to the decree, a Joint Group of Forces was created in the North Caucasus to conduct a counter-terrorism operation.
link: http://www.svoboda.org/content/article/1829292.html

The Second Chechen War as part of Putin's PR campaign

On September 14, 1999, shortly after the explosion of a second residential building in Moscow, Putin spoke at a meeting of the State Duma on the issue of combating terrorism.
link: http://www.razlib.ru/politika/korporacija_

The war against terrorists has ended in Chechnya

As of April 16, the counter-terrorist operation (CTO) regime, which had been in force in Chechnya since 1999, was lifted, RIA Novosti reports, citing the National Anti-Terrorism Committee.
link: http://lenta.ru/news/2009/04/16/regime/

The “Second Chechen War” officially ended today

Today, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee issued the following statement: “The Chairman of the Committee, Director of the FSB Alexander Bortnikov, from 00:00 Moscow time on April 16, canceled the order declaring the territory of the republic a zone for conducting a counter-terrorism operation.” As a source from the presidential administration told The Morning News correspondent, NAC made changes to the organization of anti-terrorism activities in the Chechen Republic on the personal instructions of Dmitry Medvedev. The source additionally told The Morning News that this decision was previously agreed upon with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
link: http://www.utronews.ru/news/ politics/001239868105700/

3 years ago the second Chechen war ended

Three years ago it was announced the abolition of the counter-terrorism operation of federal forces in Chechnya
link: http://www.rusichi-center.ru/ e/2965905-3

10 years ago the second Chechen war began

Everyone has their own date for the start of this war. Dagestanis believe: since August 7, when Basayev’s gangs invaded the republic. Muscovites - since September 9, when a house in Pechatniki was blown up. Military - from September 30: official entry of troops into Chechnya. Everyone has their own date for the end of this war. For those who died, it ended long ago. No survivors have returned from it yet...
link: http://bosonogoe.ru/blog/1556. html

Second Chechen War and its consequences

In December 1994, the Russian authorities made their first attempt to suppress Chechen separatism by military means, but after two years of bloody fighting the army was forced to leave the Chechen Republic. The stubbornness of the Russian authorities, who set a course for military victory in Chechnya, led to the death of at least 30 thousand Chechens and 4.3 thousand Russian soldiers. This war, the economic damage from which is estimated at $5.5 billion, largely determined the all-Russian economic crisis of August 1998, when the state was unable to pay for its exorbitant debts.
link: http://old.nasledie.ru/politvnt/19_38/article.php? art=53

The battle with the dragon is over. The chase for the snakes began.

I do not understand why. The second Chechen war was not necessary. The solution to this problem could be based on the agreements that General Lebed signed in Khasavyurt - they could become the basis for achieving long-term peace in Chechnya. I think that there are serious doubts that it was the Chechens who blew up the houses in Moscow. As you remember, this was the reason for the start of the second war. However, there are suspicions that this was a provocation by the Russian special services. It is strange that hexogen was used in the explosions, which was produced in a factory controlled by the KGB, and then strange exercises took place in Ryazan. The Chechen war had a negative impact on trust in the Russian government and on the attitude towards Russia on the part of democratic states.
link: http://flb.ru/info/34480.html

The Chechen path of the “coastal partisans”

The story of the “coastal partisans”, who have been unsuccessfully caught by hundreds of law enforcement officers with helicopters for the third week, and from today by army units with armored vehicles, could have begun 10 years ago. But the Second Chechen War and the rain of petrodollars that fell on Russia gave the country a reprieve. Now it is over, and the time has come to pay old and new bills. If the preliminary information about Roman Muromtsev's group is correct, for the first time the Kremlin has on Russian soil an organized group of militants who consider the ruling regime an enemy and are ready to kill its minions without hesitation.
link: http://www.apn.ru/publications/article22866.htm

The second Chechen war began exactly 10 years ago. When did it end? And is it over?

By the time the second war began in October 1999, I was already 26, I had a wife and a two-year-old child who were completely dependent on me. We lived very difficult and poor, and I had no time for politics. Then I thought of staying in St. Petersburg. Moreover, the news about the progress of the war was rather reassuring: first they expanded the “cordon sanitaire”, then they began to take control over populated areas of Chechnya, mostly without a fight. My city, Shali, peacefully let federal troops in.
link:

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 deployment 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 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 were withdrawn from the republic, the authorities expected calm to return. 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 both 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 missile launchers were deployed, 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 issue 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. By locality Kekhni was dealt 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.

In the period from September 6 to 18, Russian aviation continues its massive 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 appealed to Russian soldiers to surrender and be taken prisoner.

In December 1999 fighting forces Russia 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 fighting cause damage to both property and people. Despite the compelling reasons for 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 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".