Battle of Grozny (November 1994)

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November 1994 Battle of Grozny

Date	November 26, 1994
Location	Grozny, Chechnya
Result	Chechen government's decisive victory

Belligerents

Chechen Provisional Council

FSK mercenaries

Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

Commanders

Umar Avturkhanov
Beslan Gantemirov

Aslan Maskhadov
Shamil Basayev

Strength

5,000 checens,170 russian soldiers,85 russian tanks

3,000

Casualties and losses

unknown checens,67 tanks destroyed(Russia),unknown Russian killed,21 Russian captured

unknown

v • d • e First Chechen War

1st Grozny – Dolinskoye – Khankala – 2nd Grozny – Samashki – Budyonnovsk – Kizlyar-Pervomayskoye – Black Sea – Shatoy – 3rd Grozny

November 1994 Battle of Grozny was a November 26, 1994, failed attempt to seize the city of Grozny, the Chechen capital, and overthrow the separatist government of Dzhokhar Dudayev. The attack was staged by the forces of the anti-Dudayev opposition with the active support of Russian tanks and aircraft. What was supposed to be the clandestine operation of regime change ended in an utter fiasco, prompting Moscow decided to carry out a large-scale military invasion of the republic next month.

1 Background
2 The battle
3 Aftermath
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Background

In the summer of 1994 the Federal Counter-Intelligence Service (FSK) began active and open co-operation with the Chechen opposition leaders. Forces of Umar Avturkhanov (former officer of the Soviet MVD) and Beslan Gantemirov (former mayor of Grozny) not only received money from Moscow (a figure of 150 billion roubles was mentioned) but weapons as well. August and September 1994 saw the outbreak of fighting between the opposition and Dudayev's forces. By this time, the opposition had established a force of several hundred men, equipped with armoured vehicles and backed by Russian helicopters based in Mozdok airfield. This military campaign climaxed in mid-October 1994, when Gantamirov's forces tried to take Grozny by assault for the first time.

Disappointed by their failures and aware of their military weakness up to and after the October assault, former Duma speaker Ruslan Khasbulatov intensified their lobbying with the FSK and Russian President Boris Yeltsin's staff in favour of more direct involvement on Moscow's part. As a result, Avturkhanov and Gantemirov, who by then had joined their military forces, received all the weapons, instructors, training and media support they requested, setting the ground for the final assault. Tank crewmen and other soldiers from Russia's elite formations were recruited as a mercenaries for the task (reportedly, were offered $1,500 and provided with fake documents).

[edit] The battle

Shortly before the storm of Grozny, the Russian military intelligence (GRU) agents reported that Dudayev's army was completely incapable of offering serious resistance, in spite of the fact that three Russian tanks were destroyed even on their way to the city. On the morning of November 26, forces of the Chechen Provisional Council entered capital with the support of unmarked federal helicopters. According to the account by the Chechen commander Dalkhan Kozayev, the attacking forces numbered 42 tanks and 8 BTR-type wheeled APCs, a number of other vehicles, and more than 3,000 men.^[1] However, discipline in the Chechen opposition units was extremely poor and it was said ultimately not more than 1,000 of them were actually present in Grozny.

They were met with improvised but fierce defense of the government forces in the city, and soon the assault turned into a disaster. After some ten hours of intense fighting, Dudayev's forces soundly defeated the attackers. Dudayev's loyalists claimed they killed 350 attackers and knocked-out 20 tanks.^[2] Four to five undamaged tanks were captured intact after the crews surrendered or fled.^[1] In addition, four Russian helicopters and a Sukhoi Su-25 fighter-bomber were reportedly downed.^[3] Over 70 Russian soldiers and officers were captured,^[4] most of them in a mass surrender after being cut off in Kirov Park.^[1] Some sources say even 120 mercenaries were captured.^[5] All that remained of the Russian tank unit and the supporting formations of the Chechen opposition had left the city the same day.

[edit] Aftermath

This defeat was truly catastrophic, not only in military but in political terms. The Russian complicity was at first denied by Moscow, but then acknowledged when Dudayev's men paraded several captured Russian soldiers before television cameras.^[6] The fiasco of November 26 attack exhausted Russia's means of waging war against Dudayev by proxy means and leading to launching an all out direct intervention in December. Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev boasted that it would take a single Russian Airborne Troops regiment only two hours to capture Grozny.^[7] The First Chechen War officially began.