Battle of Grozny (August 1996)

Battle of Grozny (August 1996)
Part of First Chechen War
DateAugust 6–20, 1996
(2 weeks)
Location
Grozny, Chechnya
43°19′N 45°41′E / 43.31°N 45.69°E / 43.31; 45.69
Result
  • Total Chechen victory
  • Khasav-Yurt Accord
  • Russian Military and Strategic Failure - Complete withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya
  • De facto independence of the Chechen Republic
Belligerents

Russia

  • Loyalist opposition
 Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Commanders and leaders
Strength
Initially 12,000[1][2][3]
200 IFVs/APCs[4]		 Up to 1,000[1][2][3] (3,000-7,000 afterwards[5])[6]
Casualties and losses
Russian claim:
687 killed[2]
1,407 wounded[1][1][2]
18 tanks destroyed[4]
69 IFVs/APCs destroyed[4]
4 helicopters destroyed[3]
Chechen claim:
At least 2,500 killed[7]		 Unknown
Estimated 2,000 or more civilians killed[1]

The Battle of Grozny of August 1996, also known as Operation Jihad or Operation Zero Option, when Chechen fighters regained and then kept control of Chechnya's capital Grozny in a surprise raid.[8] The Russian Federation had conquered the city in a previous battle for Grozny that ended in February 1995 and subsequently posted a large garrison of federal and republican Ministry of the Interior (MVD) troops in the city.[9]

The much smaller Chechen forces infiltrated Grozny and either routed the MVD forces or split them into many pockets of resistance. Chechen fighters then beat back the Russian Ground Forces units that had been sent to eject the fighters and rescue their own trapped forces.[9] The final result was a ceasefire that effectively ended the First Chechen War of 1994–1996.

  1. ^ a b c d e Evangelista 2002, p. 44.
  2. ^ a b c d J.A.Edwards, Sean (2000). Mars Unmasked: The Changing Face of Urban Operations. p. 31.
  3. ^ a b c Gall, Carlotta; de Waal, Thomas (1998). Chechnya. New York: New York University Press. p. 331. ISBN 978-0-8147-2963-2.
  4. ^ a b c "Urban Guerrilla Warfare", Anthony Jones, April 20, 2007, p. 148
  5. ^ Лукин О. Горячий август 1996 г. в Грозном. Prague Watchdog (2006).
  6. ^ Gall, Carlotta; de Waal, Thomas (1998). Chechnya. New York University Press. p. 335. ISBN 9780814729632.
  7. ^ Knezys & Sedlickas 1999, p. 294.
  8. ^ Knezys & Sedlickas 1999, p. 288.
  9. ^ a b Felgenhauer 2000.