First Chechen War Begins

Setting the scene

The First Chechen War began on December 11, 1994, when Russian troops invaded the breakaway republic of Chechnya in the North Caucasus. Chechnya had declared independence in 1991 after the USSR collapsed, under President Dzhokhar Dudayev. Russian President Boris Yeltsin, facing political weakness and seeking to prevent the breakup of Russia, ordered the invasion to restore federal control.

What happened

Russian forces, expecting a quick victory, were humiliated in the Battle of Grozny in December 1994-January 1995, losing hundreds of tanks to Chechen fighters in urban combat. The war became a brutal stalemate, with Russian artillery and airstrikes devastating Grozny and killing an estimated 50,000-100,000 civilians. Both sides committed atrocities.

Why it still matters

The war ended in August 1996 with the Khasavyurt Accord, a Russian defeat that granted Chechnya de facto independence. The war exposed the weakness of the Russian military and Yeltsin's government, and killed 5,700 Russian soldiers and 50,000-100,000 Chechens. The unresolved conflict led to the Second Chechen War in 1999, which brought Vladimir Putin to power. December 11, 1994, began Russia's Vietnam and demonstrated the limits of military power against nationalist insurgencies.

Background

Groznys destruction shocked observers.