First Chechen War

E90395

The First Chechen War was a brutal mid-1990s conflict between Russian federal forces and Chechen separatists seeking independence, marked by intense urban fighting, heavy civilian casualties, and widespread destruction in Chechnya.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf armed conflict
post-Soviet conflict
war
cause Chechen bid for independence from Russia
refusal of Chechen leadership to sign the Russian Federation treaty
ceasefireAgreement Khasavyurt Accord
ceasefireDate 1996-08-31
characterizedBy heavy civilian casualties
human rights abuses
intense urban warfare
widespread destruction in Grozny
commander Aslan Maskhadov
Boris Yeltsin
Dzhokhar Dudayev
Shamil Basayev
conflictBetween Chechen separatists
Russian Federation
countryInvolved Ichkeria
Russia
endDate 1996-08-31
estimatedDeaths 30000–80000 civilians
3000–6000 Chechen fighters
5000–14000 Russian soldiers
followedBy Second Chechen War
hasMainBelligerent Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Russian Armed Forces
impact devastation of Chechnya’s infrastructure
growth of Islamist influence in the region
large-scale internal displacement of civilians
radicalization of some Chechen fighters
location Chechnya
North Caucasus
mediaCoverage extensive Russian and international media coverage
notableBattle Battle of Bamut
Battle of Grozny (1994–1995)
Battle of Grozny (August 1996)
Battle of Grozny (March 1996)
notableEvent Budennovsk hospital hostage crisis
Kizlyar–Pervomayskoye hostage crisis
partOf Chechen–Russian conflict
post-Soviet wars in the Caucasus
politicalOutcome postponement of decision on Chechnya’s status
weakening of Boris Yeltsin’s popularity
precededBy Dissolution of the Soviet Union
result Khasavyurt Accord
Russian military withdrawal from Chechnya
de facto Chechen independence
startDate 1994-12-11
timePeriod 1990s


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