First Chechen War

The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a struggle for independence waged by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the Russian Federation from December 11th, 1994 to August 31st, 1996. This conflict was preceded by the battle of Grozny in November 1994, during which Russia covertly sought to overthrow the new Chechen government. Following the intense Battle of Grozny in 1994–1995, which concluded as a pyrrhic victory for the Russian federal forces, their subsequent efforts to establish control over the remaining lowlands and mountainous regions of Chechnya were met with fierce resistance from Chechen guerrillas who often conducted surprise raids.

First Chechen War
Part of the Chechen–Russian
conflict
and post-Soviet conflicts

A Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopter brought down by Chechen fighters near the Chechen capital of Grozny in 1994.
Date11 December 1994 – 31 August 1996 (1 year, 8 months, 2 weeks and 6 days)
Location
Result

Chechen victory

Belligerents

 Chechen Republic of Ichkeria


Foreign volunteers:

 Russia

  • Loyalist opposition
Commanders and leaders
Dzhokhar Dudayev X
Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev
Aslan Maskhadov
Ruslan Gelayev
Shamil Basayev
Aslambek Abdulkhadzhiev
Ruslan Alikhadzhiyev
Vakha Arsanov
Salman Raduyev
Lecha Khultygov
Turpal-Ali Atgeriyev
Akhmed Zakayev
Dokka Umarov
Khunkar-Pasha Israpilov
Ramzan Akhmadov
Akhmad Kadyrov
Ibn Al-Khattab
Oleksandr Muzychko
Boris Yeltsin
Pavel Grachev
Anatoly Kulikov
Vladimir Shamanov
Anatoly Shkirko
Anatoly Kvashnin
Anatoly Romanov
Konstantin Pulikovsky
Nikolay-Skrypnik  
Viktor Vorobyov 
Doku Zavgayev
Ruslan Labazanov
Strength
1,000 (1994)
Approx. 6,000 (late 1994)
200
23,800 (1994)
estimated 250,000 (1995)
Casualties and losses
Official estimates:
3,000 killed (Chechen estimate)
2,500-2,700 (Russian official data)
Independent estimates: Approx. 3,000 killed (Nezavimisaya)
2,700 killed (Memorial)
4
Russian estimate:
5,732 soldiers killed or missing
17,892 wounded
Independent estimates:
14,000 killed (CSMR)
Over 8,500 killed or missing. Up to 52,000 wounded (Moscow Times)
100,000–130,000 civilians killed (Bonner)
80,000–100,000 civilians killed (Human rights groups estimate)
30,000–40,000 civilians killed (RFSSS data)
At least 161 civilians killed outside Chechnya
500,000+ civilians displaced

Despite Russia's considerable military advantages, the recapture of Grozny in 1996 significantly demoralised Russian troops. This development led Boris Yeltsin's government to announce a ceasefire with the Chechens in 1996 and ultimately culminated in the signing of a peace treaty in 1997.

The official Russian estimate of Russian military deaths was 5,732, but according to other estimates, the number of Russian military deaths was as high as 14,000. According to various estimates, the number of Chechen military deaths was approximately 3,000–10,000, the number of Chechen civilian deaths was between 30,000 and 100,000. Over 200,000 Chechen civilians may have been injured, more than 500,000 people were displaced, and cities and villages were reduced to rubble across the republic.

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