2002 terrorist attack and hostage crisis in Moscow
Moscow theater hostage crisis
Part of the Second Chechen War, Terrorism in Russia and Islamic terrorism in Europe
Russian special forces storm the Dubrovka Theater during the 2002 Moscow hostage crisis.
Date
23–26 October 2002 (4 days)
Location
Moscow, Russia
Result
Crisis ended
Numerous civilian casualties caused by narcotic gas pumped in by Russian security forces
Belligerents
Russia
Spetsnaz GRU
SOBR
FSB
Riyad-us Saliheen Brigade of Martyrs
Commanders and leaders
Vladimir Putin
Movsar Barayev † (leader) Abu Bakar † (deputy leader) Shamil Basayev (claimed responsibility)
Strength
Unknown
40-50 militants
Casualties and losses
2 injured
40 killed
132 hostages killed, over 700 injured
v
t
e
Terrorism in Russia
Bold italics indicate incidents resulting in more than 50 deaths. Incidents are bombings, unless described otherwise.
1977
Moscow
1995
Budyonnovsk
1996
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1999
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Part of the First Chechen War, War of Dagestan, Second Chechen War, Insurgency in the North Caucasus, Islamic State insurgency in the North Caucasus and Islamic terrorism in Europe
The Moscow theater hostage crisis (also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege) was the seizure of the crowded Dubrovka Theater in Moscow by Chechen terrorists on 23 October 2002, resulting in the taking of 912 hostages. The attackers, led by Movsar Barayev, claimed allegiance to the Islamist separatist movement in Chechnya.[1] They demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya and an end to the Second Chechen War. The crisis was resolved when Russian security services released sleeping gas into the building, and subsequently stormed it, killing all 40 hostage takers. 132 hostages died, largely due to the effects of the gas.[2][3][4]
Due to the layout of the theater, special forces would have had to fight through 30 metres (100 ft) of corridor and advance up a well-defended staircase before they could reach the hall in which the hostages were held. The attackers had numerous explosives, with the most powerful in the center of the auditorium. Spetsnaz operators from Federal Security Service (FSB) Alpha and Vympel, supported by a Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) SOBR unit, pumped a chemical agent into the building's ventilation system and began the rescue operation.[5]
The identity of the gas was not disclosed at the time, although it was believed to have been a fentanyl derivative.[6] A study published in 2012 concluded that it had been a mixture of carfentanil and remifentanil.[7] The same study pointed out that in a 2011 case at the European Court of Human Rights, the Russian government stated that the aerosol used was a mixture of a fentanyl derivative and a chemical compound with a narcotic action.[8]
^Engleman, Eric (1 November 2002). "Chechen Warlord Claims Hostage Siege". AP News. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023.
^Satter, David (13 December 2011). It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway: Russia and the Communist Past. Yale University Press. p. 303. ISBN 978-0300111453.
^"Gas 'killed Moscow hostages'". 27 October 2002. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2002 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
^"Moscow court begins siege claims". BBC News. 24 December 2002. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
^"90 Hostages Killed in Moscow Theater (washingtonpost.com)". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
^MacKenzie, Debora (29 October 2002). "Mystery of Russian gas deepens". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
^Riches, James R.; Read, Robert W.; Black, Robin M.; Cooper, Nicholas J.; Timperley, Christopher M. (20 September 2012). "Analysis of Clothing and Urine from Moscow Theatre Siege Casualties Reveals Carfentanil and Remifentanil Use". Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 36 (9): 647–656. doi:10.1093/jat/bks078. ISSN 1945-2403. PMID 23002178. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
^"Analysis of Clothing and Urine from Moscow Theatre Siege Casualties Reveals Carfentanil and Remifentanil Use". 20 September 2012. Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022 – via academic.oup.com.
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