October 1, 1999
After Chechen Islamist warlords led an incursion into the neighboring Russian republic of Dagestan in August, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin — newly appointed by Yeltsin — ordered the Russian military back into Chechnya. This time Russia moved methodically, surrounding Grozny rather than charging in, and with far more firepower. Putin's infamous promise to 'hunt them down in the outhouse' defined his image as a leader who would not tolerate Chechen defiance, and the war became the foundation of his political career.
Commanders