Second Chechen War

The Second Chechen War was a war between the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and Russia from 1999 to 2009.

Second Chechen War
Part of the Chechen-Russian conflict and the post-Soviet conflicts
Top left: BTR-80 armored personnel carrier disabled by militants during the 2000 Zhani-Vedeno ambush Top right: Russian troops en route to Grozny on 18 November 1999 Bottom left: Russian troops firing their artillery from Achkhoy-Martan on 2 December 1999 Bottom right: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev meets FSB director Alexander Bortnikov in March 2009 to discuss the end of counter terrorism operations inside Chechnya
Date October 1999 - 16 April 2009 Location North Caucasus Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Russia Chechen Republic	Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Units involved
Russian Armed Forces	Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Chechen Mujahideen
Casualties and losses
6,000-14,000	3,000-6,000

Prelude to War

Dagestan

On August 7 1999, Mujahideen forces, mostly made up of Chechens, invaded the Republic of Dagestan.^[1]

Russian Apartment Bombings

In September 1999, a series of bombings occurred in multiple apartment blocks in Russia killing more than 300 people, and injuring more than 1000.^[2] The bombings were used in order to justify the leading invasion of Chechnya by Russian forces.

Invasion

Initial Offensive

Russian troops entered Chechnya in October 1999. Heavy fighting would last until April 2000, with Grozny being captured by Russia on February 2000.

Insurgency

Guerilla War

Chechen rebels fled deeper into the country side, resorting to using guerilla tactics in order to fight against Russia. This guerilla stage would last until 2009^[3] when counter-terrorism operations in Chechnya finally ended.

Terrorism

Continued Terrorism

Even with most resistance ceasing activity, terrorism still plagues Chechnya and the rest of the Caucasus to the modern day.^[4] Many jihadist groups arose during the Second Chechen War committing multiple acts of terrorism such as the Moscow theater hostage crisis, the Beslan school siege, and more recently, the Crocus City Hall attack.^[5]

References

1. Alexseev, Mikhail (18 November 1999). "The Current Crisis in Dagestan and Chechnya: Will the Federation Emerge Intact?". Wilson Center. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
2. Nazaryan, Alexander (2022-3-6). "'Capable of anything': How the '99 apartment bombings explain Putin's rise and regime". Yahoo!. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. Schwirtz, Micheal (2009-4-16). "Russia Ends Operations in Chechnya". The New York Times. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. Sinai, Joshua (2015). "The Terrorist Threats Against Russia and its Counterterrorism Response Measures". JSTOR. Retrieved 31 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
5. Bartosiewicz, Miłosz (25 June 2024). "Increasing radicalisation: Terrorist attacks in Dagestan". OSW Centre for Eastern Studies. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.