Editing Second Chechen War (section)

===Russian–Chechen relations (1996–1999)===
Political tensions were fueled in part by allegedly Chechen or pro-Chechen terrorist and criminal activity in Russia, as well as by border clashes. On 16 November 1996, in [[Kaspiysk]] (Dagestan), a bomb destroyed an apartment building housing Russian border guards, killing 68 people. The cause of the blast was never determined, but many in Russia blamed Chechen separatists.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1976776.stm|work=BBC News|title=Deadly blast hits Russian parade|date=9 May 2002|access-date=23 May 2010|archive-date=2 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402001719/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1976776.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Three people died on 23 April 1997, when a bomb exploded in the Russian railway station of [[Armavir, Russia|Armavir]] ([[Krasnodar Krai]]), and two on 28 May 1997, when another bomb exploded in the Russian railway station of [[Pyatigorsk]] ([[Stavropol Krai]]). On 22 December 1997, forces of [[Dagestan]]i militants and Chechnya-based [[Arab]] warlord [[Ibn al-Khattab]] raided the base of the 136th Motor Rifle Brigade of the [[Russian Ground Forces|Russian Army]] in [[Buynaksk]], Dagestan, inflicting heavy casualties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id%3D2%26issue_id%3D328%26article_id%3D3598 |title=Chechen Gunmen Attack Russian Army Unit in Dagestan |work=The Jamestown Foundation |access-date=22 March 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060322132744/http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=2&issue_id=328&article_id=3598 |archive-date=22 March 2006 }}</ref>

The 1997 election brought to power the separatist president [[Aslan Maskhadov]]. In 1998 and 1999, President Maskhadov survived several assassination attempts,<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1485209/Aslan-Maskhadov.html Aslan Maskhadov - Telegraph] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314193702/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1485209/Aslan-Maskhadov.html |date=14 March 2017 }}, "Aslan Maskhadov." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 9 March 2005. Web. Retrieved 7 May 2017.</ref> blamed on the Russian intelligence services. In March 1999, General [[Gennady Shpigun]], the [[Kremlin]]'s envoy to Chechnya, was kidnapped at the airport in Grozny and ultimately found dead in 2000 during the war. On 7 March 1999, in response to the abduction of General Shpigun, Interior Minister [[Sergei Stepashin]] called for an invasion of Chechnya. However, Stepashin's plan was overridden by the prime minister, [[Yevgeny Primakov]].<ref name="russell">{{Cite book|last=Russell|first=John|title=Chechnya: From Past to Future|editor=Richard Sakwa|publisher=Anthem Press|location=London|year=2005|edition=1st|pages=239–265|chapter=Chechnya, 11 September and the War Against Terrorism|isbn=978-1-84331-164-5}}</ref> Stepashin later said:<ref>from the Russian original of interview given by Stepashin: В отношении Чечни могу сказать следующее. План активных действий в этой республике разрабатывался начиная с марта. И мы планировали выйти к Тереку в августе-сентябре. Так что это произошло бы, даже если бы не было взрывов в Москве. Я активно вел работу по укреплению границ с Чечней, готовясь к активному наступлению. Так что Владимир Путин здесь ничего нового не открыл. Об этом вы можете спросить его самого. Он был в то время директором ФСБ и владел всей информацией.</ref>

{{blockquote|The decision to invade Chechnya was made in March 1999... I was prepared for an active intervention. We were planning to be on the north side of the [[Terek River]] by August–September [of 1999] This [the war] would happen regardless to the [[Russian apartment bombings|bombings in Moscow]]... [[Vladimir Putin|Putin]] did not discover anything new. You can ask him about this. He was the director of FSB at this time and had all the information.<ref name="Assassins 1">[[Yuri Felshtinsky]] and [[Vladimir Pribylovsky]] ''The Age of Assassins. The Rise and Rise of Vladimir Putin'', Gibson Square Books, London, 2008, {{ISBN|1-906142-07-6}}, page 105. The interview was given on 14 January 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.ng.ru/politics/2000-01-14/1_ovr.html Sergey Pravosudov. Interview with Sergei Stepashin.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325191700/https://www.ng.ru/politics/2000-01-14/1_ovr.html |date=25 March 2022 }} [[Nezavisimaya Gazeta]], 14 January 2000 (in Russian)</ref>}} According to [[Robert Bruce Ware]], these plans should be regarded as contingency plans. However, Stepashin did actively call for a military campaign against Chechen separatists in August 1999 when he was the prime minister of Russia. But shortly after his televised interview where he talked about plans to restore constitutional order in Chechnya, he was replaced in the PM's position by Vladimir Putin.<ref name="ware">{{Cite book|title=Chechnya: From Past to Future|editor=Richard Sakwa|publisher=Anthem Press|year=2005|pages=79–115|chapter=Robert Bruce Ware: Mythology and Political Failure in Chechnya|isbn=978-1-84331-164-5}}</ref>

In late May 1999, Russia announced that it was closing the Russian-Chechnya border in an attempt to combat attacks and criminal activity;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wines |first=Michael |date=19 June 1999 |title=Russia Closes Posts on Border After Clashes With Chechens |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/19/world/russia-closes-posts-on-border-after-clashes-with-chechens.html |access-date=21 September 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=11 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011194710/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/19/world/russia-closes-posts-on-border-after-clashes-with-chechens.html |url-status=live }}</ref> border guards were ordered to shoot suspects on sight.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 April 1999 |title=Stepashin declares border with Chechnya closed - Russian Federation {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/russian-federation/stepashin-declares-border-chechnya-closed |access-date=21 September 2023 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en |archive-date=12 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312113226/https://reliefweb.int/report/russian-federation/stepashin-declares-border-chechnya-closed |url-status=live }}</ref> On 18 June 1999, seven servicemen were killed when Russian border guard posts were attacked in Dagestan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 1999 |title=Seven Russians die in Chechen border clashes - Russian Federation {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/russian-federation/seven-russians-die-chechen-border-clashes |access-date=21 September 2023 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en |archive-date=12 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312113230/https://reliefweb.int/report/russian-federation/seven-russians-die-chechen-border-clashes |url-status=live }}</ref> On 29 July 1999, the Russian Interior Ministry troops destroyed a Chechen border post near the city of Kizlyar and marched several kilometers into Chechnya.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nhc.no/en/25-years-since-the-second-chechen-war-began/ | title=25 years since the Second Chechen War began | date=22 August 2024 }}</ref> On 22 August 1999, 10 Russian policemen were killed by an [[anti-tank mine]] blast in [[North Ossetia]], and, on 9 August 1999, six servicemen were kidnapped in the Ossetian capital [[Vladikavkaz]].{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}