Battle of Dolinskoye

Battle of Dolinskoye
Part of First Chechen War
Date December 12-22, 1994 Location Dolinskoye, Chechnya Result Chechen tactical victory
Belligerents
Russia	Chechnya
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Vakha Arsanov Hussein Ikshanov
Units involved
VDV	Chechen National Guard
Casualties and losses
200+ killed	Unknown

The Battle of Dolinskoye (Dolinskoe, Dolinsky), which took place 25 kilometers northwest of the Chechen capital of Grozny, was the first major ground engagement of the First Chechen War.

Battle

The battle began on December 12, 1994, when six officers (including two colonels) and 13 enlisted men of the Russian Airborne Troops died in a surprise 9K51 Grad multiple rocket launcher attack on an advancing column of armored vehicles of the 106th Airborne Division and 56th Airborne Brigade. The Russian side immediately retaliated with a helicopter gunship and ground attack aircraft airstrikes on the Chechen positions.

Aftermath

By December 22, 1994, Dolinskoye continued to hold out against Russian fire. According to the Chechen commander Hussein Ikshanov, in 1995 Russians admitted losing up to 200 men in the battle.

External links

• Scrambling for cover as gunfire fills the sky, The Guardian, December 13, 1994