June also marks the tenth anniversary of Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev’s raid on Budyonnovsk. Under his command, a group of Chechens launched an audacious raid 70 miles into Russia, capturing the city’s hospital and taking 1,800 people hostage.
Russian troops assaulted the hospital twice in attempts to free the hostages, but more than 100 hostages died in the fighting before the Chechens escaped across country(some say they were allowed to escape), They took a number of hostages with them as human shields, freeing them only when they were out of reach of the Russian troops.
