As the war continued , separatists resorted to mass-hostage takings , attempting to influence the Russian public and leadership . In June 1995 , a group led by the maverick field commander Shamil Basayev took more than 1,500 people hostage in southern Russia in the Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis ; about 120 Russian civilians died before a ceasefire was signed after negotiations between Basayev and the Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin . The raid enforced a temporary stop in Russian military operations , giving the Chechens time to regroup during their greatest crisis and to prepare for the national militant campaign . The full-scale Russian attack led many of Dudayev 's opponents to side with his forces and thousands of volunteers to swell the ranks of mobile militant units . Many others formed local self-defence militia units to defend their settlements in the case of federal offensive action , officially numbering 5,000 – 6,000 armed men in late 1995 . Altogether , the ChRI forces fielded some 10,000 – 12,000 full-time and reserve fighters at a time , according to the Chechen command . According to a UN report , the Chechen separatist forces included a large number of child soldiers , some as young as 11 and including females . As the territory controlled by them shrank , the separatists increasingly resorted to using classic guerrilla warfare tactics , such as setting booby traps and mining roads in enemy-held territory . The successful use of improvised explosive devices was particularly noteworthy ; they also effectively exploited a combination of mines and ambushes
Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis
Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis
First Chechen War