MOSCOW , Russia -- Russia declared an end Thursday to its 10-year anti-terror `` operation '' in the autonomous republic of Chechnya . Russian forces have been operating in Chechnya since Boris Yeltsin 's order in 1999 . The end to the offensive could see the withdrawal of thousands of troops from the Muslim-majority region , where Russia has fought two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991 . The head of the Federal Security Service `` canceled the decree declaring a counterterrorist operation in the territory of the republic as of midnight of April 16 , '' Russia 's anti-terror committee said . It said it did so to create `` the conditions for the future normalization of the situation in the republic , its reconstruction and development of its socio-economic sphere , '' it said in a statement . The late president Boris Yeltsin ordered the counter-terrorist operation in 1999 . Since then , the region has been relatively stable .
It put end to 10-year anti - terrorist ` ` ' '' in Chechnya . Thousands of troops could be withdrawn from Muslim - majority region . Former president Boris ##ov ordered the counter - terrorist operation in 1999 .