Moscow Theatre Siege: Chechen Hostage Crisis Begins
Spetsnaz operators pumped an undisclosed chemical agent into the Dubrovka Theater's ventilation system to subdue 40 armed Chechen militants, killing all attackers but causing about 130 hostages to die from toxic reactions. This heavy-handed rescue ended the two-and-a-half-day siege yet sparked international condemnation and local outrage after physicians revealed that withholding the gas's identity prevented them from saving more lives.
October 23, 2002
24 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on October 23
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