As we go to press on Feb. 6, Acting Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russian troops seized Grozny, the capital of Chechnya.
At the beginning of the war five months ago, some 50,000 people were trapped in Grozny. Despite the high civilian casualties, the Russians bombed the city with relentless savagery.
Photos of the city ruins resemble those of Stalingrad, demolished in the battle against the Nazis during World War II.
The casualties among Russian troops in Chechnya has been high. Though the Western media generally acknowledges about 1000 deaths, groups like the Soldiers’ Mothers’ Committees claim a death toll of over 5000.
As the truth about the casualties begins to emerge, the antiwar movement in Russia is growing.
