2004 Nazran raid

The overnight attacks targeted 15 government buildings in the former Ingush capital and the largest city, Nazran, and three settlements located on the Baku-Rostov highway that crosses the republic from east to west (Karabulak, Sleptsovskaya and Yandare). The attacking force had some Ingush militants.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oSi1BwAAQBAJ&dq=%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5+%D0%BD%D0%B0+%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%8C&pg=PA3|title=Ежедневная деловая газета РБК 227-2014|first=Редакция газеты Ежедневная Деловая Газета|last=Рбк|date=December 17, 2019|publisher=Litres|isbn=9785457744660 |via=Google Books}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zWN4EAAAQBAJ&dq=%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5+%D0%BD%D0%B0+%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%8C+2004&pg=PT200|title=Кровь алая — 4. С лица воду не пить|last=Горохов|first=Евгений|date=30 June 2022 |publisher=Litres |isbn=9785044505131 }} The targets of simultaneous attacks included the Interior Ministry (MVD) headquarters with an arms depot, an FSB border guard unit, the municipal police headquarters, barracks of the OMON special police, police stations and checkpoints. The attackers also tried but failed to free 50 prisoners from a temporary jail and dispersed at 3 a.m.,[https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,1245091,00.html Dozens killed in raid by Chechen rebels on Ingushetia], The Guardian, June 23, 2004 before a column of federal army troops managed to reach Nazran just after dawn at 4 a.m.[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/22/1087844908440.html?from=storylhs Rebels storm buildings on Russian border], The Age, June 22, 2004 One Russian military convoy was also ambushed en route from North Ossetia and suffered casualties.[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-06/22/content_341596.htm 46 killed in attacks on Russia government], China Daily, 2004-06-22

The raid lasted nearly five hours, and the raiders withdrew almost unscathed and with two truckloads with 1,177 seized firearms. The Interior Ministry building and Nazran train station were burned down. Ingush officials said the rebels took some 20 hostages, mostly traffic police officers.

The day before the attack, Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, speaking for RFE/RL, claimed rebels are "going to switch to offensive warfare". In July 2004, Maskhadov publicly accepted responsibility for the attack and promised more similar attacks.{{cite book|title=Chechnya: From Past to Future|editor=Richard Sakwa|publisher=Anthem Press|year=2005|pages=79–115|chapter=Robert Bruce Ware: Mythology and Political Failure in Chechnya|isbn=978-1-84331-164-5}}

According to the official figures, 92 people were killed in the raid, including at least 47 police officials,[http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/06/23/russia.toll/index.html Toll rises from Russia attack], CNN, June 23, 2004 a number later revised downward to 88. The final toll included 27 civilians, 26 policemen (24 Ingush and 2 Chechen), 10 special forces servicemen, 9 soldiers (6 Russian and 3 Ingush), 8 FSB agents, 5 employees of the local prosecutor's office, at least 2 guerrillas and 3 unidentified people. About 106 people were injured, including 51 members of government forces.John B. Dunlop [http://www.peaceinthecaucasus.org/reports/Beslan.pdf Beslan - Russia's 9/11?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709013043/http://www.peaceinthecaucasus.org/reports/Beslan.pdf |date=2007-07-09 }}

The largest group of the dead were local police and other law enforcement officials, whom the rebels said they killed for collaborating with Russian security services in kidnappings and killings of Ingush civilians suspected of sympathizing with the rebels. The killed officials included the republic's acting Interior Minister Abukar Kostoyev, his deputy Zyaudin Kotiyev,[http://www.rferl.org/content/Five_Years_Later_Repercussions_Of_Nazran_Attack_Still_Reverberate/1758140.html Five Years Later, Repercussions Of Nazran Attack Still Reverberate], RFERL, June 19, 2009 Nazran city prosecutor Mukharbek Buzurtanov, and Nazran district prosecutor Bilan Oziyev.

A number of civilians, including the Ingush health minister and a local UN worker, were killed in the crossfire. Only 2 dead rebels were found in the morning after attack, according to Kavkaz Center website, the attackers lost 6 men killed. The KC statement also said that over 120 "servants of Russia" were killed in the attack and 30 policemen were captured.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

Army General Vyacheslav Tikhomirov, the Russian Deputy Interior Minister and the commander of Russia's Internal Troops (VV), decided to resign after Federal Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev blamed them for the high number of deaths. After Tikhomirov's resignation, the VV remained without a head for a month.[http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=186 The Internal Corps - The Kremlin's Private Army]

Some 30 suspected rebels, mostly Ingush, were arrested in the next two months over their part in the Nazran raid. Several days after the September 2004 Beslan school siege, Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia Vladimir Kolesnikov said 10 of the weapons stolen in Nazran were used in the Beslan attack. One of the demands of Beslan terrorists was also the release of the raid suspects. In 2005, 13 of them were convicted and sentenced to 8–25 years in prison.

• {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AlTvAAAAMAAJ&q=%D0%92+%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B9+%D0%98%D0%BD%D0%B3%D1%83%D1%88%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B8+%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5+%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2+%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B5+%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D0%B7%D1%8B%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%82+%D1%81+%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%8F%D0%BC%D0%B8+%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B9+%D0%B2+%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8+%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%85+%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%B2+.+%D0%98%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%BE+,+%D1%87%D1%82%D0%BE+%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5+%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%B2+%D0%B8%D0%B7+%D0%98%D0%BD%D0%B3%D1%83%D1%88%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B8+%D0%B2+%D0%A7%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8E+%D0%B1%D1%8B%D0%BB%D0%BE |title=Коммерсант, власть |date=2004 |publisher=Издательский дом "[Твердый знак]" |language=ru}}

• 2004 Avtury raid
• 2004 Grozny raid
• 2005 Nalchik raid
• Insurgency in Ingushetia
• Murat Gasayev

{{reflist|2}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929094723/http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=70&NrSection=1&NrArticle=12302 War Comes to Ingushetia], Transitions Online, 28 June 2004

{{Chechen wars}}

{{coord missing|Ingushetia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nazran raid, 2004}}

Category:21st-century mass murder in Russia

Category:Ambushes of the Second Chechen War

Category:Terrorist incidents in Russia in 2004

Raid 2004

Category:June 2004 crimes

Category:Battles of the Second Chechen War

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Category:Caucasian Front (militant group)

Category:History of Ingushetia

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Category:Conflicts in 2004

Category:Military raids

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Category:Attacks on police headquarters

Category:Attacks on police stations in 2004

Category:Attacks on military installations in 2004

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