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The Chechens may have withdrawn from Grozny, but they are going to be able to fight another day, writes Stephen Dalziel.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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