Editing Spetsnaz (section)

====Beslan school siege====
{{Main|Beslan school siege}}
[[File:Beslan school no 1 victim photos.jpg|thumb|Beslan school victim photos]]
Also referred to as the '''Beslan massacre'''<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4608785.stm Beslan mothers' futile quest for relief] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805203004/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4608785.stm|date=5 August 2016}}, [[BBC News]], 4 June 2005</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://moscow.usembassy.gov/transcript-17.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013013827/http://moscow.usembassy.gov/transcript-17.html | archive-date=13 October 2008 | title=United States Expresses Sympathy on Anniversary of Beslan Attack | publisher=US Department of State | date=31 August 2005 | access-date=15 October 2014}}</ref><ref name="legacy">{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/putins-legacy-is-a-massacre-say-the-mothers-of-beslan-787280.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/putins-legacy-is-a-massacre-say-the-mothers-of-beslan-787280.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=Putin's legacy is a massacre, say the mothers of Beslan | newspaper= [[The Independent]] |date= 26 February 2008 |access-date= 15 October 2014}}</ref> started on 1 September 2004, lasted three days and involved the capture of over 1,100 people as hostages (including 777 children),<ref name=unicef>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/russia/media_4875.html|title=Beslan – Two Years On|date=31 August 2006|publisher=[[UNICEF]]|access-date=15 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404112922/http://www.unicef.org/russia/media_4875.html|archive-date=4 April 2009}}</ref> ending with the death of 334 people. The event led to security and political repercussions in Russia; in the aftermath of the crisis, there has been an increase in [[Ingush people|Ingush]]–[[Ossetians|Ossetian]] ethnic hostility, while contributing to a series of federal government reforms consolidating power in the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]] and strengthening of the powers of the [[President of Russia]].<ref name="shadow">{{cite news|url=http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1030/42/356028.htm|title=Chechnya Vow Cast a Long Shadow|newspaper=The Moscow Times|date=26 February 2008|access-date=15 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080813163236/http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1030/42/356028.htm|archive-date=13 August 2008}}</ref>

The crisis began when a group of armed radical Islamist combatants, mostly Ingush and Chechen, occupied School Number One (SNO) in the town of [[Beslan]], [[North Ossetia–Alania|North Ossetia]] (an [[autonomous republic]] in the [[North Caucasus]] region of the [[Russia|Russian Federation]]) on 1 September 2004. The hostage-takers were the [[Riyadus-Salikhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs|Riyadus-Salikhin Battalion]], sent by the Chechen terrorist warlord Shamil Basayev, who demanded recognition of the independence of [[Chechnya]] at the [[United Nations]] and the withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya.

On the third day of the standoff, counter terrorism units stormed the building using heavy weapons after several explosions rocked the building and children started escaping. It was in this chaos most of the officers were killed, trying to protect escaping children from gun fire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csr9TPGPoxs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211110/csr9TPGPoxs| archive-date=10 November 2021 | url-status=live|title=Beslan School Massacre, Dramatic Scenes (2004)|work=YouTube| date=24 August 2011|access-date=16 October 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Satter">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/907jbmkm.asp?pg=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930211020/http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/907jbmkm.asp?pg=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 September 2007|title=The Truth About Beslan. What Putin's government is covering up.|first=David|last=Satter|author-link=David Satter|magazine=[[The Weekly Standard]]|volume=12|issue=9|date=13 November 2006|access-date=15 October 2014}}</ref> At least 334 hostages were killed as a result of the crisis, including 186 children.<ref name="last_casualty">{{cite news|date=8 December 2006|url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/12/08/woman_injured_in_2004_russian_siege_dies/|title=Woman injured in 2004 Russian siege dies|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=9 January 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017001115/http://boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/12/08/woman_injured_in_2004_russian_siege_dies/ |archive-date=17 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2 September 2005|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4207112.stm|title=Putin meets angry Beslan mothers|work=BBC News|access-date=28 July 2006}}</ref> Official reports on how many members of Russia's special forces died in the fighting varied from 11, 12, 16 (7 Alpha and 9 Vega) to more than 20<ref name=arguedbefore>{{cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|author-link1=Peter Baker (author)|author2=Susan B. Glasser|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1256-2004Sep6.html|title=Hostage Takers in Russia Argued Before Explosion|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=7 September 2004|access-date=4 September 2017}}</ref> killed. There are only 10 names on the special forces monument in Beslan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.rin.ru/eng/news/9303/2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018162318/http://news.rin.ru/eng/news/9303/2/|archive-date=18 October 2007|title=Monument to special forces and rescuers unveiled in Beslan|publisher=NEWS.rin.ru|date=2 September 2006|access-date=15 October 2014}}</ref> The fatalities included all three commanders of the assault group: Colonel Oleg Ilyin, Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Razumovsky of Vega, and Major Alexander Perov of Alpha.<ref>{{cite news | date=18 October 2004 | title=More and more evidence implicates authorities in Beslan disaster. Beslan's tragic end: Spontaneous or planned? | url=http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/8415-17.cfm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041020061807/http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/8415-17.cfm | archive-date=20 October 2004 |access-date=15 October 2014 | publisher=jamestown.org}}</ref> At least 30 commandos suffered serious wounds.<ref name="after">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/international/europe/13russia.html?pagewanted=print&position=&_r=0 | title=After School Siege, Russia Also Mourns Secret Heroes | newspaper=The New York Times | date=13 September 2004 | access-date=15 October 2014}}</ref>