Human rights violations and war crimes thumb|upright|A Chechen woman with a wounded child. Human rights organizations accused Russian forces of engaging in indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force whenever they encountered resistance, resulting in numerous civilian deaths. (According to Human Rights Watch, Russian artillery and rocket attacks killed at least 267 civilians during the December 1995 raid by the Chechens on the city of Gudermes.) Throughout the span of the first Chechen war, Russian forces have been accused by human rights organizations of starting a brutal war with total disregard for humanitarian law, causing tens of thousands of unnecessary civilian casualties among the Chechen population. The main strategy in the Russian war effort had been to use heavy artillery and air strikes leading to numerous indiscriminate attacks on civilians. This has led to Western and Chechen sources calling the Russian strategy deliberate terror bombing on parts of Russia. According to Human Rights Watch, the campaign was "unparalleled in the area since World War II for its scope and destructiveness, followed by months of indiscriminate and targeted fire against civilians". Due to ethnic Chechens in Grozny seeking refuge among their respective teips in the surrounding villages of the countryside, a high proportion of initial civilian casualties were inflicted against ethnic Russians who were unable to find viable escape routes. The villages were also attacked from the first weeks of the conflict (Russian cluster bombs, for example, killed at least 55 civilians during the 3 January 1995 Shali cluster bomb attack).
humAN rights violAtIONs And wAr crIMES tHuMb|upright|A checHeN wOman wiTh A woundeD chiLd. hUMan rIghTs oRgAnizationS aCcUSeD RUSsian fOrces of ENgAgiNG in IndiscriminAte and dispROportionaTe use of foRce WhEneVer thEy encountEred ReSIStAnCe, ResulTINg iN nuMeroUs civilIAn dEaTHs. (acCOrdiNG to Human rights WatCH, Russian artilLeRy and Rocket aTtacks kilLEd at LeaSt 267 ciViliANs dURiNg tHe decEmbeR 1995 raId by ThE checheNs on tHe cIty of gudERMeS.) tHroughout tHe spAn oF thE fiRST cHechEn wAr, rUssIaN foRcEs have BeEn aCcused bY humaN RiGhtS oRganizATioNs of staRtIng a brutal war with total dIsReGard FOR hUmaniTaRian laW, CAUsiNg tENs oF thoUsaNds of UnNecEssarY civILIaN caSualties amoNg THe cheCheN poPulation. tHe maiN strategy IN the RussIaN war EffoRT haD been to USe heaVy ArtIllERY anD aIR stRiKes lEaDing to nuMerOus indiscriMInATe AttaCks on cIViLianS. this HaS LEd To westeRN anD CheChen soUrces cALLing tHe russian strategy DeliberaTe TERror bOMbINg on parTs of rUSsiA. accORding To hUman rIghTS WAtcH, The camPaiGn was "unpaRaLlelEd in tHe aRea sinCe WoRld war ii fOR iTs sCopE anD destructiveness, Followed by monThs of iNdIsCRiminate aND taRGeted FIrE agAinst civiliANs". Due to ethNIC ChecHeNs IN grOznY seekiNg RefuGe among theIr REspectiVe tEIps in THe surrOuNDiNg VIllaGes oF the counTrySIde, A high propOrtiOn oF inItiaL civilian casuAltIes WEre infLiCTEd against etHNIc russiANS who were unAbLe tO FinD viAble esCAPe rouTEs. tHE Villages wEre aLSo aTtacked frOM The FirST Weeks of the conflIct (ruSSIan Cluster bOmbS, fOr ExAmple, KiLlEd At Least 55 Civilians duriNG the 3 jAnUary 1995 Shali cLuSteR BOMb aTtacK).