Fighting broke out in Grozny, Chechnya, one day before Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his state of the nation. Russian authorities said militants killed three police officers at a checkpoint just after midnight. The attack forced Putin out of bed, and his convoy drove him to the Kremlin after 1AM local time.
The gunmen attacked the publishing house in the center of Grozny. Witnesses posted pictures and videos on social media:
Oh. My. God. RT @htomyie: #Grozny a firefight is unfolding in Chechnya. Large caliber machine guns, APCs, the works
— Mary Chastain (@mchastain81) December 4, 2014
Strange things happening in Moscow at 2:30 in the morning,@aleshru reporting a Putin motorcade headed to the Kremlin http://t.co/9aF1EdeB0F
— Jeff Gauvin (@JeffersonObama) December 4, 2014
RT @ignis_fatum: Heavy fire breaks out in central #Grozny as tank and heavy gun fire continues #Russia pic.twitter.com/lk5qMEScl6
— Mary Chastain (@mchastain81) December 4, 2014
BREAKING PHOTO: Fire broken out in the Press House in Grozny, Russia. anti-terror op under way. pic.twitter.com/g8T1R0gM0k
— Breaking News (@NewsOnTheMin) December 4, 2014
IMAGES: Reportedly pictures taken of militants on the way to attack #Grozny Press House. Described as “organized.” pic.twitter.com/ddZvVWHUuV
— Military Studies (@ArmedResearch) December 4, 2014
VIDEO: More footage of gun battle at Press House in #Grozny, #Russia. Heavy machine gun fire. via @Truth_Seeker_11https://t.co/pbxw6YbAPI
— Military Studies (@ArmedResearch) December 4, 2014
more video of fighting in Grozny. light arms, police car burning. @AsheSchowhttps://t.co/0KLVfdLRYO
— Firejack007 (@firejack007) December 4, 2014
RT @EuromaidanPR: Roads in the center of #Grozny are blocked ‘ EMPR News @solih_shishani pic.twitter.com/lVqlEKIfLm #Checnya
— Mary Chastain (@mchastain81) December 4, 2014
IMAGES: #Grozny Press House in #Chechnya, #Russia. pic.twitter.com/A6qpn6KoKi
— Military Studies (@ArmedResearch) December 4, 2014
#BREAKING: Russian military on alert after organized militants attack #Grozny Press House. (via @euromaidan) pic.twitter.com/dvmugpzL8Z
— News2Share (@news_2_share) December 4, 2014
RT @KevinRothrock: https://t.co/EDWpAUabf8 The clash in Grozny tonight is no light affair. pic.twitter.com/CfkgQhjKEp
— Gregory Feifer (@gfeifer) December 4, 2014
Central #Grozny – reports of a small group of terrorists engaged in gunfire. Not 300 pic.twitter.com/6kQsSI0HiT
— Andrey Panevin (@AndreyPanevin) December 4, 2014
President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is best friends with Putin, managed to bring some rest to Chechnya after two wars against Russia. Kadyrov is viewed as a Putin puppet. He addressed the occupation on his Instagram account. He told his followers the city is still intact and the anti-terrorist operation will be completed by morning. He also said it is possible the militants are from another region.
Kadyrov ‘s father Akhmad Kadyrov, Chechnya’s first pro-Moscow president, was assassinated in May 2004. Kadyrov won the presidency when Putin removed Akhmad’s successor Alu Alkhanov from office. Putin nominated Kadyrov for president. From the AP:
Following his father’s death in a rebel bombing, Kadyrov rebuilt the region with generous Kremlin funding and squelched the rebel resistance with his ruthless paramilitary forces, which have been blamed for extrajudicial killings, torture and other abuses.
On Thursday, Putin addressed Russia with his annual state of the nation at St. George Hall. The attacks in Grozny are another woe on Putin’s list. Russia’s government told Putin the country will likely enter a recession next year as the rouble continues to fall and oil prices drop.
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