The official name of the second Chechen war is the counter-terrorist operation. The war in Chechnya captured the border regions of the North Caucasus and the territory of Chechnya. The beginning of this war is considered to be September 30, 1999. On that day, Russian troops were brought into Chechnya. Active actions in this territory continued until 2000, and then the conflict passed into a passive phase, which is not over to this day. The counterterrorism operation regime was canceled in 2009.
After the Russian troops were withdrawn from Chechnya in 1996, peace and tranquility did not come on these lands. Gangsters are richer, kidnapping people for the purpose of ransom, as well as profiting from the theft of oil, the production of narcotic drugs, counterfeiting, terrorist attacks and armed attacks. Mass training of Muslim terrorists was launched in Chechnya. Arab mercenaries in every way destabilized the situation in the regions adjacent to Chechnya, and spread the ideas of separatism.
March 1999 was marked by the abduction by terrorists of Interior Ministry Plenipotentiary Gennady Shpigun. Measures to combat criminal gangs were strengthened, the best specialists in combating ethnic crime were sent to the north of the Caucasus. Chechnya found itself in an economic blockade, financial flow from Russia has almost dried up. These measures complicated the life of the bandits. Transporting drugs and weapons across the border has become increasingly difficult. By the summer of 1999, the border was a militarized zone. The war in Chechnya became apparent.
Soon an attempt was made to capture the outposts of troops on the border of Chechnya and Dagestan. In response, Russian helicopter pilots hit rockets in Khattab’s positions. Then the decision on large warning strikes was announced. Chechen fighters were preparing for an attack on Dagestan. They chose mountainous areas as their target, on the basis of considerations that there are fewer federal troops on this territory, and it will not be possible to quickly transfer forces because of the inaccessibility of the area. From the Kadar district of Dagestan, militants expected to strike a blow at the federal forces from the rear.
Researchers note that the war in Chechnya was beneficial to a large number of people. Firstly, Islamic extremists who sought to spread their ideas around the world, and secondly, the financial kings of the Persian Gulf.
On August 7, militants massively invaded Dagestan. The operation was led by Shamil Basaev and the Arab mercenary Khattab. The bandits hoped that the inhabitants of Dagestan would go over to their side, but they were mistaken. The population showed selfless resistance to the invading militants. The Ichkeria leadership, together with the Russian authorities, decided to conduct a federal operation against the Islamists who infiltrated Dagestan. Maskhadov condemned the attack, but did not take real measures.
The fighting lasted about a month. As a result of competent actions, the militants retreated to Chechnya. During this period, terrible tragedies occurred in a number of Russian cities: terrorist acts - explosions of residential buildings.
After weighing Maskhadov’s inability to take control of the situation in Chechnya, the Russian leadership decided to conduct a military operation whose goal was the complete destruction of the terrorists. September 23 began a massive bombing of Grozny. The second war in Chechnya has begun.
Russian troops are operating successfully, breaking the resistance of the militants. Terrorists were tricked into minefields, raids were carried out on the rear. The leadership was betting on luring the elite to its side. So, Akhmat Kadyrov, a former separatist, became the head of Chechnya and the main mufti. The war in Chechnya forced the militants to look at units of non-Chechen origin. By 2005, such large field commanders as Maskhadov and Khattab were destroyed. As a result, the activity of bandit formations decreased markedly. The war in Chechnya, whose losses are great for Russia, to this day causes controversy and controversy. Many condemn the actions of the authorities, while others support it. Nevertheless, in subsequent years in Russia there was not a single major terrorist attack. The second war in Chechnya significantly weakened the militants.