Second Chechen War
1999 · Chechen Republic and Dagestan (North Caucasus) · World · Modern
Russian forces captured Grozny in February 2000; a 2003 referendum confirmed Chechnya's place in the Russian Federation, and in April 2009 Russia declared its counterterrorism operation over.
Belligerents
Russian Federation
- Commanders
- Putin, Kazantsev, (Late) Ramzan Kadyrov
- Strength
- About 80,000 to 100,000, including Interior Ministry troops
Chechen forces
- Commanders
- Maskhadov, Basayev, Khattab
- Strength
- About 22,000, later dispersing into guerrilla bands
Background
In August 1999 Basayev and other fighters crossed into Dagestan, and in September that year apartment bombings struck several Russian cities; Russia promptly launched a second military campaign.
Course of the battle
- DagestanIn August–September 1999 Russian forces drove the incursion back into Chechnya.
- EncirclementOverwhelming firepower and a steady advance replaced the reckless thrust of the previous war.
- Grozny retakenIn February 2000 Russian forces occupied the ruined capital.
- Prolonged counterinsurgencyThe war turned into counterinsurgency in the mountains and "Chechenization," lasting until 2009.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Place | Republic of Chechnya and Dagestan (North Caucasus) |
| Result | Russian forces captured Grozny in February 2000; a 2003 referendum confirmed Chechnya's place in the Russian Federation, and in April 2009 Russia declared its counterterrorism operation over. |
| Winner | Russian Federation |
| Casualties | Estimates vary enormously; over 6,000 Russian soldiers and police were killed, and fighters and civilians died in the tens of thousands. |
| Territorial change | Chechnya remains a subject of the Russian Federation, governed to this day by the pro-Russian Kadyrov family. |
Impact
Unlike the first war, it ended in Russia's favor, yet its conduct and cost remain contested to this day. The war also left the armies of the world, for the next two decades, with the problem of "prolonged low-intensity combat amid urban ruins."
See the world in 1999 on the map →