Editing Spetsnaz (section)

====Moscow theatre hostage crisis====
{{main|Moscow theater hostage crisis}}

The crisis was the seizure of the crowded Dubrovka Theatre on 23 October 2002 by 40 to 50 armed [[Chechen people|Chechens]] who claimed allegiance to the [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria|Islamist militant separatist movement in Chechnya]].{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} They took 850 hostages and demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya and an end to the [[Second Chechen War]]. The siege was officially led by [[Movsar Barayev]].

Due to the disposition of the theatre, special forces would have had to fight through {{convert|100|ft|m}} of corridor and attack up a well defended staircase, before they could reach the hall in where the hostages were held. The terrorists also had explosive devices. The most powerful of these was in the center of the [[auditorium]]; if detonated, it could have brought down the ceiling and caused casualties in excess of 80% of the auditorium's occupants.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/7y898kOMpAg Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150718014550/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y898kOMpAg Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y898kOMpAg|title=The Moscow Theatre Siege Documentary|work=YouTube|date=22 October 2013 |access-date=15 October 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After a two-and-a-half-day siege and the execution of two hostages, spetsnaz operators from the [[Federal Security Service]] (FSB) [[Alpha Group|Alpha]] and [[Vympel|Vympel a.k.a. Vega Groups]], supported by the [[Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs]] (MVD) [[SOBR]] unit, pumped an [[Moscow hostage crisis chemical agent|undisclosed chemical agent]] into the building's [[Mechanical ventilation|ventilation]] system and raided it.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

During the raid, all of the attackers were killed, with no casualties among spetsnaz, but about 130 hostages, including nine foreigners, died due to poor first aid after falling unconscious from the gas. Most died after being evacuated from the theatre and laid outside on their backs instead of in the approved recovery position and then choking to death. Russian security agencies refused to disclose the gas used in the attack leading to doctors in local hospitals being unable to respond adequately to the influx of casualties.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20067384 Moscow theatre siege: Questions remain unanswered] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104210523/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20067384|date=4 January 2016}} [[BBC]] Retrieved on 16 December 2013</ref> All but two of the hostages who died during the siege were killed by the toxic substance pumped into the theatre to subdue the militants.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2365383.stm|title=Gas "killed Moscow hostages", ibid.}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2602945.stm "Moscow court begins siege claims"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305015839/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2602945.stm|date=5 March 2016}}, [[BBC News]], 24 December 2002</ref> The use of the gas was widely condemned as heavy-handed.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2371691.stm | work=BBC News | title=Moscow siege gas 'not illegal' | date=29 October 2002 | access-date=15 October 2014}}</ref>

Physicians in Moscow condemned the refusal to disclose the identity of the gas that prevented them from saving more lives. Some reports said the drug [[naloxone]] was used to save some hostages.<ref name="nal">{{cite magazine|last=MacKenzie|first=Debora|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2979-mystery-of-russian-gas-deepens.html|title=Mystery of Russian gas deepens|magazine=[[New Scientist]]|date=29 October 2002|access-date=15 October 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809113949/http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2979-mystery-of-russian-gas-deepens.html|archive-date=9 August 2010}}</ref>