Grozny

Grozny (in Russian Грозны; Djovkhar Ghaala in Chechen) is the capital of Chechnya.

Population: 223,000 (2002)

Nearly all of Grozny was destroyed or seriously damaged during the Chechen Wars.

Grozny was captured by Russian forces during the First Chechen War, but guerrilla units operating from nearby mountains managed to harass and demoralize the Russian occupation force enough to provoke a withdrawal in 1996.

Grozny has been occupied by Russia since the Second Chechen War began in 1999. The Russian puppet government in Chechnya is based in Grozny. Its headquarters were blown up on December 27, 2002 by Chechen rebels.