# First Chechen War (1994)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1994-first-chechen-war
Categories: battle

Russian forces invaded Chechnya, which had declared independence in 1991. The storming of Grozny from New Year's Eve 1994 caused heavy losses and destroyed much of the city. Russian troops completed their withdrawal from the Baltic states and Germany in 1994. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed. The war was a military and political disaster for Yeltsin.

## Why it matters
The war was a military and political disaster for Yeltsin.

Ruler at the time: [Boris Yeltsin](https://history-russia.com/rulers/boris-yeltsin)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — First Chechen War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chechen_War)
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Grozny (1994–1995)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Grozny_(1994–1995))
- [Wikipedia — History of the Russian Federation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Russian_Federation)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — First Chechen War](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=First+Chechen+War)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)