Russia has long been known as a "fighting people", especially the Russian army, which is known for its decisiveness and strong combat capabilities, and has been praised by all countries. However, this army suffered a heavy defeat in one battle, losing more than 2,000 special forces almost at the beginning of the battle. It was only when the Russian military launched a devastating attack in desperation that it saved face a little. The battle was known as the Grozny Street Battle, fought against Chechen forces and took place twice, from 1995 until 2000.
The battle was regarded by the outside world as one of the most brutal street battles since the Vietnam War. The first outbreak occurred in 1995 and caused considerable difficulties for the Russian army. After the battle began, a large number of Russian troops quickly moved into Grozny, and it seemed that they could easily crush the Chechen forces. However, once they entered the city, the situation took a turn for the worse. Of the 26 tanks sent by Russia, 20 were destroyed, hundreds of armored vehicles were almost scrapped, and more than 2,000 Russian special forces were all killed in the battle. At that time, the daily casualty figures published by the Russian side averaged 8 dead and 13 wounded, but some foreign media believed that these figures may be underestimated, and the actual losses could be ten times this number. Such a result was also unexpected for the Russian army, after which the Russian army immediately launched an operational analysis of the city. The reason why Grozny is difficult to conquer is that the city itself is like a strong fortress, full of fortresses, intricate roads, and underground passages, and it is almost impossible to predict where the enemy will attack without being familiar with the place. This was realized only when the Russian army was stationed in Grozny. Despite the large number of Russian troops and the great firepower of their equipment, they can hardly function in such a complex street fighting environment, which is why it will lead to defeat.
However, it was not until 1999 that the Russian side launched a second offensive against Grozny, and despite the experience of the previous battle, the Russian army still suffered heavy casualties. In the course of the fighting, the military repeatedly ordered the direct destruction of the city in order to quickly resolve the battle. In the end, the Russian army won, but at an extremely high cost.
In the face of such a brutal battle, even the United States believes that it is difficult for itself to bear the consequences, although this can also be regarded as an indirect praise for the fighting spirit of the Russian army, but for the Russian army, it is best to experience such battles less.