Grozny was once again the epicenter of fighting after the outbreak of the Second Chechen War , which further caused thousands of fatalities . During the early phase of the Russian siege on Grozny on October 25 , 1999 , Russian forces launched five SS-21 ballistic missiles at the crowded central bazaar and a maternity ward , killing more than 140 people and injuring hundreds . During the massive shelling of the city that followed , most of the Russian artillery were directed toward the upper floors of the buildings ; although this caused massive destruction of infrastructure , civilian casualties were much less than in the first battles
killing more than 140 people
Grozny ballistic missile attack
Grozny