Data on Yeltsin's direct contacts with Dudaev during Chechen War announced

During the war in Chechnya, direct communication was maintained of Boris Yeltsin and Djokhar Dudaev; and the Kremlin ensured the Ichkeria* president's freedom of travel, Ruslan Alkhanov, the head of the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), said in his interview with the RBC (RosBusinessConsulting).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that December 11 marked the 25th anniversary of the start of the advent of Russian troops into Chechnya, which marked the beginning of the first military campaign in the republic (First Chechen War).

Boris Yeltsin, the then president of Russia, personally asked to release the aircraft of Djokhar Dudaev, the president of the Republic of Ichkeria, when the latter was detained in Yugoslavia, Mr Alkhanov asserts. According to his version, the communication of the Russian president with the separatist leader did not stop "for a single day," the RBC writes with reference to the words from the Alkhanov's interview for the film, which the RBC dedicated to the anniversary of the first Chechen War.

In particular, as Alkhanov narrated, Russia helped Dudaev, who had proclaimed independence of Chechnya in organizing his foreign visits. "Well, how did Dudaev fly abroad? His aircraft was detained in Yugoslavia' thus Boris Yeltsin personally called them, and they released him," said Ruslan Alkhanov.

He treats the first Chechen War as beneficial for Yeltsin and Dudaev. "This is purely my personal opinion; the fact is that both Dudaev and Yeltsin needed that first Chechen War, because the privatization of state-owned enterprises was in full swing there," Ruslan Alkhanov has stated.

*Bodies of power of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria are on the lists of terrorist organizations, participation therein is a criminal offense.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 18, 2019 at 07:54 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.