Battle of Dolinskoye
The Battle of Dolinskoye (Dolinskoe, Dolinsky), which took place 25 kilometers northwest of the Chechen capital of Grozny, was the first major ground engagement of the First Chechen War.
Battle of Dolinskoye | |||||||
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Part of First Chechen War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Unknown | Vakha Arsanov, Hussein Ikshanov | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
At least 21 killed (initial attack), In total 200 killed | Unknown |
Battle
The battle began on 12 December 1994, when six officers (including two colonels) and 13 enlisted men of the Russian Airborne Troops died in a surprise 9K51 Grad multiple rocket launcher attack on an advancing column of armored vehicles of the 106th Airborne Division and 56th Airborne Brigade.[1] The Russian side immediately retaliated with a helicopter gunship and ground attack aircraft airstrikes on the Chechen positions.[2]
Aftermath
By 22 December 1994, Dolinskoye continued to hold out against Russian fire.[3] According to the Chechen commander Hussein Ikshanov, in 1995 Russians admitted losing up to 200 men in the battle.[4]
References
- Felgenhauer Archived 2006-12-06 at the Wayback Machine Navy.mil
- Chechnya The Guardian
- Chechnya Archived 2007-12-01 at the Wayback Machine Knox Army.mil
- Iskhanov interview Small Wars Journal
External links
- Scrambling for cover as gunfire fills the sky, The Guardian, December 13, 1994