| 1999 |
|
| August |
|
| 7 |
Self-styled Wahhabites from Chechnya, led by Shamil Basayev and the Saudi warrior Khattab, stage an armed rebellion in neighbouring Daghestan. They take over seven villages near the border. |
| 9 |
Vladimir Putin, Head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), is nominated Prime Minister by Yeltsin. (The Duma later confirms the appointment in the first vote.) |
| 13 |
Moscow warns that Islamist bases will be attacked, "even in Chechnya". |
| 15 |
Chechen President Asian Maskhadov declares a state of emergency. |
| 25 |
Federal forces take back the Daghestan villages of Tando and Rakhata. |
| 31 |
Bomb explodes in Moscow's Manege shopping centre: five seriously injured. Two separatist Islamic villages in northern Daghestan (Karamakhi and Chabanmakhi) are captured by federal forces. |
| September |
|
| 4 |
Federal planes bomb Chechen villages next to the Daghestan border. 62 Russian soldiers and members of their families die in an explosion in Buinaksk (Daghestan). |
| 8 |
93 die in Moscow apartment block bombing. |
| 13 |
116 die in second Moscow apartment block bombing. Yeltsin announces a nationwide "anti-terrorist campaign". 14–20 15,000 are expelled from Moscow and 69,200 made to re-register in "Operation Foreigner". "Unity" Party backing Putin formed to contest parliamentary elections in two months' time.
Federal armed forces (20,000–30,000 strong) mass along the frontiers of Chechnya. |
| 16 |
17 die in Volgodonsk bombing in southern Russia. |
| 23 |
Grozny is bombarded by the Russian air force for first time since 1994–5. Police in Ryazan find and defuse explosives in an apartment block. |
| October |
|
| 1 |
Russian troops enter Chechnya. Prime Minister Putin announces that he no longer recognises the legitimacy of Maskhadov's government. |
| 5 |
Maskhadov imposes martial law in Chechnya. |
| 6–10 |
Chechen forces withdraw from the north of the republic, retreating behind the Terek River. |
| 18 |
Russian army enters the suburbs of Grozny. |
| 21 |
Ground-to-ground missiles hit Grozny. Chechen side announces 137 dead. |
| 27 |
Second missile attack, leaving reported 112 dead (Chechen sources). |
| 29 |
Refugee column fleeing towards Ingushetia is bombed by federal forces. |
| November |
|
| 12 |
Russian army enters Gudermes, second largest town in republic. |
| 17 |
Capture of Bamut. Missile bombardment of Grozny and Urus-Martan. |
| 18 |
OSCE summit meeting in Istanbul demands that Russia seek a "political solution" to the conflict (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe). |
| end Nov |
As a result of two months fighting around a quarter of a million refugees from Chechnya flee to neighbouring Ingushetia. |
| December |
|
| 2 |
Federal forces enter Argun. |
| 6 |
Russians take Urus-Martan. Civilians in Grozny are given an ultimatum: they must leave Grozny by 11 December. |
| 10 |
European Union threatens Moscow with sanctions. Moscow repeats its ultimatum. |
| 12–20 |
Federal troops penetrate several areas of Grozny and announce the capture of the city's civilian and military airports. |
| 19 |
Elections to Duma, the lower house of parliament. The new Unity Party, built around the figure of Putin, gets almost as many votes as the Communists. |
| 20–21 |
Violent battles near Serzhen-Yurt, 25 miles south-east of Grozny. |
| 25 |
Attack on Grozny. About 2,000 Chechen fighters prepare for house-to-house fighting. |
| 27 |
Maskhadov declares that Grozny will be defended to the last. |
| 31 |
President Yeltsin resigns and Putin takes over as acting president. |
| 2000 |
|
| January |
|
| 3–6 |
Chechen fighters recapture Alkhan-Kala and Alkhan-Yurt, but are forced to withdraw after three days. |
| 7 |
Moscow announces the suspension of operations in Grozny, in order to protect civilians and avoid an ecological catastrophe. Shamanov and Troshev are replaced by new military commanders, |
| 10 |
Moscow revokes the truce in response to Chechen attacks in different localities. |
| 12 |
Federal troops retake Argun, Shali and Gudermes following their temporary occupation by Chechen fighters. |
| 16 |
Federal troops launch a new offensive to capture Grozny. |
| 18 |
Committees of Soldiers' Mothers dispute official figures: they claim that 3,000 have already been killed and 5,000 wounded in the present campaign. |
| 29 |
The defenders of Grozny begin to surrender. By 1 February, 216 have laid down their arms. |
| 31 |
Minutka Square captured in centre of Grozny. |
| February |
|
| 1 |
Chechen fighters withdraw from the capital. |
| 3–4 |
Russian army proceeds to "cleanse" Grozny. Chechens confirm that most of their armed men have left the city. |
|
Main army spokesman Manilov says there are 93,000 federal troops in Chechnya. |
| 6 |
Putin announces on television that "the operation to liberate Grozny is over". |
|
Fighting continues in mountainous south of country where the Chechen fighters have regrouped, notably in and around the encircled settlements of Shatoi and Komsomolskoe. |
| 29 |
Released Radio Liberty journalist Andrei Babitsky describes abuse of detainees at the Chernokozovo filtration centre near Grozny. |
| March |
|
| 3 |
During the capture of Shatoi, federal troops free two Polish scientists being held as hostages by a Chechen band. |
| 5 |
Heavy fighting around Komsomolskoe where the fighters have regrouped (according to Russians, there are 2,000 of them). |
|
Putin visits Grozny and announces there will be a reduction to 23,000 of a permanent garrison stationed in the country. |
| 21–22 |
Komsomolskoe taken by federal forces. |
| 26 |
Russian presidential elections: Putin wins in first round, taking 52.9 per cent of the vote. |
| 29 |
Chechen ambush of a Russian armoured column near Argun (fighters claim 60 dead). Despite assertion of Russian General Staff, Chechen fighters continue to move freely. |
| April |
|
| 1–4 |
Mary Robinson, high commissioner for UN, visits Chechnya. She denounces human rights infringements by Russian troops. |
| 6 |
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe suspends the voting rights of the Russian delegation and demands that the Council of Ministers begins procedure to expel Russia. |
| 10 |
In interview with biggest circulation Russian daily news-paper, Chechen president Maskhadov declares himself ready to enter a dialogue without prior conditions. |
| 13 |
Kremlin indicates it is ready to enter discussion with Chechen representatives. |
| May |
|
| 7 |
Putin inaugurated as Russian president. |
| 11 |
11 soldiers die in Chechnya after rocket-propelled grenade attack. |
| 13 |
Seven presidential plenipotentiaries appointed to rein in the Russian regions; General Kazantsev is put in charge of the Southern Area, administered from Rostov. |
| 17 |
2,500 Chechen "policemen" (led by Gantamirov) disbanded. Sergei Zverev, deputy to Koshman, the Russian-appointed administrator of Chechnya, is killed in an ambush. |
| 30 |
Koshman dismisses Gantamirov for absenteeism. |
| June |
|
| 8 |
"Temporary" presidential rule established. The Mufti of Chechnya Kadyrov replaces Koshman. |
| 25 |
Troshev, now military commander for the North Caucasus Military District, claims that the war is over. |
| July |
|
| 2–3 |
Five suicide-bombing attacks. Total of 42 soldiers die at Argun, Gudermes, Urus-Martan and two other localities. |
| 9 |
Bombs in Vladikavkaz and Rostov kill eight. |
| 13 |
Gantamirov is appointed Kadyrov's deputy and mayor of Grozny, but almost immediately has armed confrontation with Guderrnes leader. |
| August |
|
| 8 |
Bomb in central Moscow underpass kills 12 and injures 97. |
| 12 |
Kursk submarine sinks. |
| 18 |
In defiance of the authorities, newspapers publish a list of service men aboard the Kursk. |
| 20 |
By-election for Duma seat in Chechnya. Retired Interior Ministry general Aslanbek Aslakhanov beats 11 other candidates, gets 31 per cent of the votes. |
| September |
|
| 9 |
Moscow Times claims up to 1.3 million "dead souls" voted for Putin in presidential elections. Half a million votes cast for him in Daghestan were doubtful. |
| October |
|
| 6 |
Largest oil discovery in world for last 30 years claimed after preliminary exploration of Kashagan deposit in Caspian Sea. |
|
Three explosions in Stavropol Region; two in Nevinnomysk and one at Pyatigorsk rail station. |
| 12 |
Seven killed in explosion outside police station in Grozny. |
| 26 |
Report by Human Rights Watch denounces "indiscriminate and disproportionate" federal bombing, and documents widespread arbitrary detention, torture and extortion. |
| 29 |
Seven federal soldiers and two local waitresses killed in café blast. Trial begins of three former paratroopers accused of murdering journalist Dmitry Kholodov in October 1994. |
| November |
|
| 9 |
Russia's Security Council declares intention to reduce the armed forces by 600,000 (or 20 per cent of total) by the year 2005. |
| 13–15 |
Media magnates Berezovsky and Gusinsky fail to appear at the prosecutor's office, on charges of fraud and embezzlement. Arrest warrants are subsequently issued. |
| 22 |
IMF mission leaves Moscow without reaching new agreement. Almost certain that Russia cannot now restructure its debt of $3.9 billion to the Paris Club. |
| December |
|
| 3 |
Federal aviation bombed suspected concentrations of Chechen armed groups in Shali district and Vedeno Gorge. |
| 9 |
A Moskvich automobile packed with explosive blew up next to the mosque in Alkhan-Yurt, killing 22. |
| 12 |
Two Russian army privates kidnapped in Vladikavkaz on 4 December were freed in Sernovodsk. |
| 20 |
Five students of the Grozny teacher-training college were killed, and four others wounded, in a mortar attack. |
| 28 |
Residential buildings belonging to the Akhmadov brothers in the centre of Urus Martan were blown up by the security services. |
| 2001 |
|
| January |
|
| 22 |
Putin announces cuts in armed presence in Chechnya and transfer of anti-terrorist operation to FSB. |
| 25 |
PACE restores voting rights of Russian delegation, claiming a change in heart by the federal administration. |