Russia's new front line

After Grozny, war not over
The Chechens may have withdrawn from Grozny, but they are going to be able to fight another day, writes Stephen Dalziel.

• Challenge of urban warfare
  Defence Correspondent Jonathan Marcus explains how the Chechen rebels held out for so long in Grozny.
• Turkey shelters wounded Chechens
  Events in Chechnya are being watched with concern in Turkey, where plenty of people trace their roots to the Caucasus.
  
• How the rebels keep fighting
  Regional analyst Stephen Mulvey looks at how Chechnya's fighters have been able to sustain the war.
• How does Russia pay for the war?
  Russia's war in Chechnya has a high cost.
• Can Russia win?
  Russia's strategy in Chechnya appears to be a recipe for stalemate.
• Eyewitness: Feeling Russia's might
  Andrew Harding with civilians on the Chechen border.
• Media swings against the military
  The Russian media's support for the Chechen operation has shown signs of cracking.
• A Chechen view of the war
  A Chechen representative explains why Russia has launched two wars against Chechnya.

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Troubled borderland

Who's who in the Caucasus
A guide to the patchwork of nationalities that make up the region, where they are on the map and what they have in common.
(Click here for map and at-a-glance guide)

• The first bloody battle for Grozny
  Russia's 1994-95 assault on the Chechen capital Grozny was a military disaster as troops met with fierce resistance.
• Battle for the Caucasus
  Moscow Correspondent Rob Parsons reports on the challenge to Russia from the North Caucasus: Watch his report.
  
• Chechnya's hard path to statehood
  Chechnya has been running its own affairs since 1996, although Moscow still lists the Islamic republic as part of the Russian Federation.
  
• Chechnya making regional waves
  The conflict in Chechnya has sent a wave of concern throughout neighbouring states.

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The challenge to Moscow

Russia, bombs and elections
Although there is no hard evidence of a link between the bomb blasts in Russia and Chechen separatists, Russia's shocked citizens are demanding action, writes Malcolm Haslett.

• Russia's demoralised army
  The collapse of the Soviet Union saw the army, along with many other areas of society, fall into a depressed and penniless state.
• Who's to blame for the Russia blasts?
  The Russian authorities have openly blamed militants in Chechnya for the bombs, but there are still unanswered questions.
• Russia's options

Even if Russia's authorities manage to unite to combat the threat of more bombings, it presents a huge challenge.
• Timeline: The blasts which shook Russia

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Dagestan flashpoint

The Dagestan connection
Russian troops in Dagestan have been pitted against experienced guerrillas whose chosen mission in life is to fight the Russians. They are well-armed, well-funded and have enjoyed freedom of movement through most of Chechnya.

• Islamic roots in Dagestan
  The mountainous republic of Dagestan is home to more than 32 ethnic groups - each one with its own language.

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Profiles

Chechnya's quiet general
Aslan Maskhadov did more than any other fighter in Chechnya to win the 1994-1996 war against Russia. He also did more than any other negotiator to bring peace.

• Shamil Basayev: Chechen warlord
  This feared warrior looks almost unassuming in the flesh. He is of medium height, with a bushy beard and high forehead worthy of a Moscow intellectual.
• Khatab: Islamic revolutionary
  Unlike many of his Chechen comrades-in-arms, the Arab fighter known as Khatab does not seek publicity.
• Vladimir Putin: Spy turned politician
  Russia's prime minister is not renowned as a charismatic speaker, but he is a tough and resourceful man.
• The generals behind the war
  The men running Russia's war in Chechnya are a close-knit group who, some say, bear a grudge.

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CHOOSE A PLACE Abkhazia Armenia Azerbaijan Chechnya Dagestan Georgia Ingushetia Kabardino-Balkaria Karachai-Cherkessia North Ossetia South Ossetia
	The placenames of the Caucasus have all too often emerged from their relative obscurity into the world’s consciousness only when underlying tensions have erupted into conflict. For an at-a-glance guide to the complex make-up of the region, pick a name from the pull-down menu above.

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