The First Chechen War became one of the most significant military failures of post-Soviet Russia. Poor planning, underestimated resistance, and fierce urban combat in Grozny revealed major weaknesses ...

The Moscow theater siege was a portent of more terrorism to come, warns Rajan Menon, a Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow specializing in Russia. He argues that the shocking attack shows that ...

Moscow blamed Chechen terrorists, though many observers questioned whether Russian security services orchestrated the attacks to justify renewed war. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin used the bombings as ...

We trace the long road that led Chechnya into open war with Russia, beginning with its deep historical roots and centuries of resistance to imperial rule. We examine how Soviet policies, mass ...