Russian Soldiers Accused of Killing Civilians in Grozny

Civilians were caught in the middle of heavy fighting in Grozny, with drunken Russian soldiers killing nine people and leaving no bodies behind. The brutal attack in the village of Nesterovskaya, about 50 kilometers west of the Chechen capital, has highlighted the breakdown in discipline within the Russian military. Witnesses and officials describe the scene of carnage, with blood-covered footprints and spent cartridges littering the ground.

Key Takeaways:

• A group of civilians was caught in the middle of heavy fighting in Grozny and killed by drunken Russian soldiers, with nine people believed killed but no bodies left at the scene.
• The Russian soldiers used armoured personnel carriers to cut off the civilians, open fire, and crush their cars, then hunted down the wounded as they tried to flee.
• Investigators found blood-covered footprints leading from the crushed cars to bushes along the road and spent cartridges from a machine gun littering the ground.
• Women's clothes were found nearby, and a half-eaten loaf of bread was found on the rear window of one car.
• An investigator said a child's footprints appeared to be next to a woman's, suggesting that the soldiers chased and killed the wounded.
• The incident has highlighted the breakdown in discipline within the Russian military, with some soldiers reportedly defying orders to advance on Chechnya.
• Russian soldiers have said they will defy orders to advance, citing low morale and the unpopularity of Defense Minister Pavel Grachev.
• Officials have blamed interior ministry troops for the attack, while witnesses and investigators have different theories on what may have prompted the attack, including a possible revenge killing or a cover-up of a massacre.

Statistics:

• 9 people believed killed in the attack
• 100,000 Chechen refugees in Ingushetia
• 13 Ingush, including the republic's health minister, killed and wounded when they tried to stop the advance of Russian columns
• 50 kilometers west of Grozny, the Chechen capital, where the attack took place
• December 11, the date on which the Russian soldier found near the destroyed armoured personnel vehicle was congratulating his 19th birthday

Sources:

• "Russian Soldiers Accused of Killing Civilians in Grozny" by Associated Press, not dated
• Investigation by Ingush officials