September 30, 1999
The Russian army entered Chechnya, declaring the start of a counter-terrorist operation. The war, which lasted for 10 years (the counter-terrorist operation was lifted in 2009), went down in history as the Second Chechen War.
Russia, as it is, needs an enemy. There aren't enough forces for an external enemy, but an internal one can always be appointed. (Anna Politkovskaya)
The active phase of hostilities began six months before the presidential elections. And the faster federal troops advanced toward Grozny, the higher the approval ratings of the previously unknown Vladimir Putin, who had become prime minister.
The formal pretext for the deployment of troops was a massive attack by North Caucasian militants on Dagestan, as well as explosions of residential buildings in Moscow, Buinaksk, and Volgodonsk.
Putin demanded that the Chechen authorities, led by Aslan Maskhadov, restore order in the republic and stop aiding the bandits hiding there. Otherwise, he promised to bring in "specialists" who would "offer their resources."
It took Russian troops just over a month to reach Grozny and encircle it. However, fierce fighting in the republic's capital continued until February 2000. To capture the city in time for the elections, it was practically razed to the ground.
During the Second Chechen War, approximately 25,000 civilians were killed. Another 5,000 went missing.
The second war in Chechnya was horrific and brutal, employing utterly despicable mercenaries. Among them were many convicts from prisons, feared by their own conscripts (writer Polina Zherebtsova, who lived in Chechnya).
With the start of the Counter-Terrorist Operation (CTO), phrases like "the country needs a strong hand," "we need to put up a barrier to international terrorism," "prevent the disintegration of Russia," and "take protection for the population that has become victims of gangs" have entered Russian everyday life.
For the first time since Soviet times, discussions about the correct and incorrect coverage of the war by journalists are being heard from official platforms.
Another new word - Kadyrovtsy. Designated those who helped Russian troops restore order in Chechnya.