In the second half of the 1990s, from several dozen to several hundred radicals from Dagestan were hiding in the territory of Chechnya. Among them was Bagautdin Kebedov, who became one of the ideologists of the North Caucasus militants. In the spring of 1998, he created the Islamic radical group “Islamic Shura of Dagestan”, and also took part in the formation of the terrorist structure “Congress of the Peoples of Ichkeria and Dagestan” (KNID) *, which was headed by the terrorist Shamil Basayev. Extremists promoted the idea of ​​capturing the entire North Caucasus, including Dagestan, and creating a unified “state” in the region.

In addition, in 1997-1998, Islamist emissaries began to arrive in the so-called Kadar zone of Dagestan (Wahhabi unrecognized autonomous enclave. - RT ) and form an underground in the village of Karamakhi, Buinaksk region.

In 1999, small groups of terrorists penetrating from Chechnya began trying to create weapons caches in Dagestan and clash with Russian security forces. But Kebedov called on the Islamists for a massive invasion of the republic, with the support of several dozen field commanders.

“The terrorists wanted to split the North Caucasus, foment large-scale military operations here, so that they spread throughout the Russian Federation, and reach those“ problem areas ”where complex international issues were constantly raised.

The actions of the terrorists were supported abroad, and they were assigned large-scale tasks, allocating significant sums for military operations, ”the head of the Political Science and Sociology Department of REU named after RT told in an interview with RT. Plekhanova, expert of the Association of Military Political Scientists, reserve colonel Andrei Koshkin.

The beginning of the invasion

On August 7, 1999, units of the Islamic International Peace Brigade terrorist organization formed under the auspices of the People’s People's Republic of China invaded Dagestan. The direct leadership of the terrorist "brigade" was carried out by Basayev.

The total number of militants was, according to various sources, from 400 to 1.5 thousand people. Their initial goal was the settlements of the Botlikh region of Dagestan - Ansalta, Rakhat, Tando and others.

On August 10, terrorists from the Islamic Shura began to circulate statements about the creation of the so-called “Islamic state of Dagestan” and the deposition of the legal authorities of the republic. Basayev, as well as the Arab terrorist Khattab, were declared temporary “commanders” of the Shura armed groups.

On August 9, militants captured one of the dominant heights of the Botlikh region - Donkey Ear, located west of the district center. This allowed them to establish fire control over a large territory. Three days later, Russian troops inflicted an artillery strike in height, and on August 13 it was launched by forces of fighters of the 108th Guards Airborne Regiment and other units of the Russian Armed Forces. Major Pavel Kostin led the battalion commander.

  • Hero of Russia Kostin Sergey Vyacheslavovich
  • © Wikimedia Commons

The federal forces pulled upon themselves large militant forces. Terrorists repeatedly attacked the positions occupied by paratroopers, and each time met with fierce resistance. Major Costin died in battles with superior terrorist forces. Posthumously he was awarded the title of Hero of Russia. In addition to him, more than ten Russian servicemen gave their lives in the battle for Donkey Ear. A few days later, the militants were finally ousted from above by forces of the 247th Airborne Assault Regiment and the 131st Motorized Rifle Brigade.

For several days, the settlements of the Botlikh region of Dagestan were cleared of terrorists. On August 23, Basaev withdrew his troops into Chechnya.

Shoulder-to-shoulder with the security forces in the battles against terrorists, militiamen from among the inhabitants of Dagestan, who took up arms to protect their homes from bandits, also fought.

“The local militia showed a desire to fight the terrorists, which supported the security forces, who realized that they were not solving the problem alone. In that situation, this support was extremely important, ”said Koshkin.

"Restored the territorial integrity of the country"

On August 27, representatives of the official authorities of Dagestan demanded that the representatives of the Islamist underground in the Kadar zone lay down their arms. After the peace appeals were ignored, a large-scale military operation to eliminate the enclave began on August 29. About 500 terrorists dug in the Kadar zone under the command of Amir Jarulla. The fighting was heavy. Taking out the wounded soldiers from the front line, a nurse, a sergeant of the internal troops, Irina Yanina, died. Posthumously, she was awarded the title of Hero of Russia and enlisted in the lists of personnel of the military unit.

  • Irina Yurievna Yanina - nurse of the medical company of the operational brigade of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. For heroism, courage and self-sacrifice shown during the rescue of wounded servicemen, she was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation
  • © rusmarka.ru

Trying to distract the attention of the Russian authorities and security forces from the Kadar zone, the militants launched several large-scale attacks directed against the civilian population of the Russian Federation. On September 5, terrorists under the command of Basayev and Khattab again invaded Dagestan. Now their goal was the Novolaksky district of the republic. On the same day, up to 200 bandits attacked a checkpoint of Russian security forces in the village of Tukhchar, where, according to media reports, 13 military personnel of the internal troops and 18 Dagestan riot police were located. The Russian security forces put up fierce resistance and inflicted painful losses on the militants. However, extremists managed to capture several military personnel. Subsequently, they were executed.

On September 5-6, the invaders fought, and then the fighters of the Dagestan and Lipetsk riot police, who were in the village of Novolakskoy, broke through to the main forces of the federal forces.

On September 8, government forces and the Dagestan militia regained control of the village of Karamakhi. Four days later, the Islamists were completely ousted from the Kadar zone. Basayev was forced to order his troops to leave Dagestan.

On September 14, federal forces took control of the village of Novolakskoye. The next day, Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev reported to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that Dagestan had been completely freed from terrorists.

In the future, the fight against gangs of radicals continued on the territory of Chechnya.

During the battles with terrorists in Dagestan in August – September 1999, 226 military personnel, 53 police officers, 25 militias and 108 civilians were killed. According to various estimates, 2–2.5 thousand militants were eliminated.

As Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of Moscow State Pedagogical University, noted in an interview with RT, the actions of the security forces were aimed exclusively at protecting the population of Russia and Dagestan and eliminating the terrorists who committed the act of aggression.

“From the point of view of efficiency, both the Russian army and law enforcement agencies were not in the best of times and, accordingly, the problems that were during the First Chechen War (1994-1996) haven’t disappeared anywhere. The security forces had many problems, both of a domestic nature, and related to weapons, equipment, and training. However, law enforcement agencies and the armed forces fulfilled their duty and together with the people of Dagestan, with the militias who were the first to take the blow, did not allow the gangs to develop an offensive, and then liquidated the breakthrough and restored the country's territorial integrity, defeating the terrorists, ”the expert emphasized.

On September 11, 2019, in the village of Botlikh, a monument was unveiled to participants in the Great Patriotic War, local wars and militias - participants in the hostilities in the territory of Dagestan in 1999. On September 12, during a visit to Dagestan, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with militias who defended the republic from terrorists.

“September 15, 1999 is an important and crucial date in every sense, since it was precisely those events that became the point of termination of the territorial and political crisis, which could ultimately lead to the collapse of the country. It was about the revival of its statehood and territorial integrity, ”said Shapovalov.

According to him, "the events associated with the protection of Dagestan from gangs of separatists and terrorists testify to the desire of the overwhelming majority of the population of the republic to protect not only their territory, but also the territorial integrity of Russia."

  • Honor guard at the monument to the participants of the Great Patriotic War, local wars and militias - participants of the hostilities in the territory of Dagestan in 1999
  • RIA News
  • © Alexey Nikolsky

As noted by Andrei Koshkin, the actions of the authorities and security forces of the Russian Federation in September 1999 were aimed at "overcoming a serious threat to the country."

“In those conditions, there was a tough question about how to maintain integrity, what idea to unite the Russians. In this case, the events that took place in Dagestan became a serious check. The current president of the Russian Federation flew there and personally studied the situation, took adequate measures that allowed overcoming this difficult period, ”said Koshkin.

From his point of view, in 1999 the Russian Federation experienced a kind of reboot.

“Today, those events have become a symbol of the beginning of the country's development and the restoration of its former glory as the successor to the traditions of the Soviet Union, which allowed Russia to occupy its niche. Nowadays, Russia is considered all over the world as a state, without which it is impossible to solve global issues, especially in the security sphere, ”summed up Koshkin.

* "Congress of the Peoples of Ichkeria and Dagestan" - the organization was recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2003.