Summary of the main news related to the conflict in Chechnya. Compiled by Prague Watchdog.
Monday, April 29
Russian figher plane Su-25 crashed during a combat mission in the Vedeno district, killing the pilot. Chechen fighters said they had shot it down, the Russian military said that besides being shot down the plane might have hit a mountain.
Field commander Khattab has been buried in Saudi Arabia, Khattab's older brother Mansur told London-based Arab daily "Al-Hayat".
Freight transport in the "Grozny-Tovarny" railway station has been partially resumed, Chechnya's pro-Moscow Transport Ministry announced. - Strana.ru
Tuesday, April 30
Chief of the Russian General Staff, General of the Army Anatoly Kvashnin, said top Chechen field commander Shamil Basayev is possibly dead, although his corpse had not been found. Kvashnin's statement was immediately denied by Chechen sources and later on some Russian representatives said there is no evidence confirming Basayev's death.
Interior Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Brigadier General Aydamar Abalayev, was killed together with two Chechen field commanders during a fight near the Sayasan village in the Nozhay-Yurt district.
US military advisers, namely about 20 logistics experts and staff support, arrived in Georgian capital Tbilisi to prepare for a team of up to 200 staff to take part in the "Georgia Train and Equip" programme, which was designed to provide protection and stability in the region.
Wednesday, May 1
No major events.
Thursday, May 2
No major events.
Friday, May 3
No major events.
Saturday, May 4
Kharvani Idrisov, deputy to the military commander of Argun, who was in charge of public relations, was kidnapped by "armed men".
Turkish citizen Mustafa Yildirim burst into the Marmara hotel in central Istanbul, briefly took about 10 people hostage to protest Russia's military action in Chechnya and Israel's offensive in the Palestinian territories, and eventually he surrendered to the police, without harming any of the hostages. The gunman had fought in Chechnya against the Russians but was not of Chechen ancestry, his brother Isa Yildirim told Turkish news agency Anatolia.
Sunday, May 5
Russian Interior Minister Sergey Ivanov reiterated that Russia's 42nd motorised division had been deployed in Chechnya forever.
The views expressed on this web site are the authors' own, and don't necessarily reflect the views of Prague Watchdog, which aims to present a wide spectrum of opinion and analysis relating to events in the North Caucasus.
