December 11th will mark 30 years since the beginning of the First Chechen war. The initial Russian assault on Chechnya signaled not just the start of a merciless conflict that killed tens of thousands of civilians in Chechnya, but also the end of Russia’s liberal dream.
As Russia’s first war after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the First Chechen war served as a prologue to other conflicts unleashed by the Kremlin, including the war in Ukraine. The bloody campaign continued with varying success until the end of August 1996, followed by Second Chechen war, which cemented Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power.
Experts spoke to VOA Russian on the lessons of the Chechen wars and their tragic consequences for Russian democracy.
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