The Russian army has discharged for drunkenness or disorderly behavior scores of the "kontraktniki" soldiers serving as volunteers in Chechnya, the radio station Ekho Moskvy reported on October 20. Citing a special commission of the Defense Ministry, the station said that the "kontraktniki" are heavy... MORE

The October 20 issue of Novaya gazeta published a detailed description of a video that casts further doubt on the official version of events that happened a year ago, when Chechen terrorists (possibly influenced by double agents working for the Russian security agencies) seized hundreds... MORE

The area in and around Chechnya has the largest troop concentrations in Europe, according to an October 20 article by Vladimir Mukhin in Nezavisimaya gazeta. This article should be treated with caution, having clearly been written for the purpose of countering Akhmad Kadyrov's calls for... MORE

Though Chechens have barely had a chance to catch their breath since the October 5 presidential election, campaign maneuvers are already underway for the all-Russian parliamentary elections in December--which will include Chechnya's seat in the federal Duma. As of October 21, some nineteen candidates were... MORE

Kadyrov's planned commission for investigating the events of the last twelve years in Chechnya apparently looms even larger in his plans than was apparent when it was first announced some weeks ago. He said on October 19 that a decree launching the commission would be... MORE

Many of the Chechens who have disappeared in "zachistki" security sweeps are still alive in Russian captivity, in the view of human rights activist Kheda Saratova. The head of the Vozvrashchenie ("Return") foundation told correspondent Aleksandr Kolesnichenko of Novye izvestia that the organization has assembled... MORE

Sanobar Shermatova of Moskovskie novosti told Chechnya Weekly in an October 20 telephone interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin may decide to launch negotiations with the rebels even before Russia's presidential elections scheduled for next spring. Such negotiations, in which federal officials would probably not... MORE

What role did Arman Menkeev, a retired officer from a GRU spetsnaz commando unit, play in last year's hostage episode at Moscow's Dubrovka theater? Was the explosives expert a co-conspirator of the Chechen terrorists--or a double agent who helped lure them into a trap set... MORE

Just as mysterious as Menkeev--and perhaps even more crucial to understanding the tragedy at the Dubrovka theater--is the figure of Ruslan Elmurzaev, alias "Abubakar." Indeed, several eyewitnesses believe that he was the real leader of the hostage takers (see Chechnya Weekly, May 29). John Dunlop... MORE

How many hostages did the Russian special services finally kill with the powerful gas that they used while storming the theater last October? Some independent estimates made toward the end of 2002 found that, if one includes those who died of related effects days or... MORE