Terrorism and insurgency incidents

A local mullah was knifed to death in a suspected blood revenge attack

Voskresenovskiy

Shelkovskiy Rayon

Abdurakhim Gakayev, born 1968, killed. Turpal-Ali Sh., born in 1993 and resident in Gudermes, identified as the suspected killer. Blood revenge and mullah’s provision of black magic suspected reasons for killing. The suspect’s car was found near the incident

Security services killed police lieutenant-colonel Albert Atmurzayev, head of the department for personnel from the temporary operational group of organs and units of the Russian Interior Ministry, during a document check.

Groznyy

Near Akhmat Arena

43.323128

45.744280

The security services attempted to stop a group of three people, who opened fire in response. All the suspected insurgents were killed in the attack. One member of the security services was injured.

Staryy Achkhoy

Achkhoy-Martanovskiy Rayon

43.131328

45.300980

Kalashnikov, Makarov pistol, cartridges and two hand grenades seized at the scene. Local residents claimed the men were not local

Security services detained two people accused of helping plan attack carried out the day before in Staryy Achkoy.

Staryy Achkhoy

Achkhoy-Martanovskiy Rayon

43.131328

45.300980

Location presumed from context: detentions occurred as part of original special operation.

Security services opened fire on Magomed Abubakarov, a civilian and British citizen who had previously been abducted, when they surrounded his home. Abubakarov was injured in the incident. Three of Abubakarov’s relatives were detained, and four more local residents abducted to elicit testimony against Abubakarov

Urus-Martan

43.130749

45.541297

The Interior Ministry and FSB detained Khamzat Zoyev, a native of Chechnya, for his involvement in the 1995 attack on Budennovsk. No details of where the detention occurred were provided.

Security services detained two men accused of historic involvement in a group led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab. No information provided on where the detention occurred

Murtazali Alimgireyev and Alimkhanv Kadrashov, both residents of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, identified as participants of group led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab in 1999.

Unknown individuals attacked a DPS post in Gudermes with a grenade, wounding one. The Chechen Interior Ministry denied the incident but did not explain the reward offered for information on the perpetrators. The attack was followed by security service raids across Chechnya, searching for the perpetrator.

Gudermes

Prospekt Akhmata Kadyrova

43.345973

46.108934

An unknown person opened fire on a Rosgvardia vehicle, killing one security service employee and wounding another. Chechen opposition channels initially claimed that three people were killed, but later appeared to claim one, with a second dying of wounds later. The attackers escaped.

Petropavlovskaya

Groznenskiy Rayon

43.380409

45.828569

Security services conducted raids in multiple locations in response to the 24 October attack on Rosgvardia. It is unclear where the raids occurred or over how many days, but Rizvan Batyrov in Argun was one person detained

Argun

43.292662

45.867439

Unknown people carried out a drone attack on the Russian University of Spetsnaz in Gudermes. Initially, no casualties were reported, but Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov later claimed that an unspecified number of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed

Gudermes

Russian University of Spetsnaz

A Ukrainian drone attacked a police regiment in Groznyy, damaging the roof of a police building and causing unspecified civilian casualties.

Groznyy

A Ukrainian drone reportedly attacked the barracks of the Akhmat Kadyrov Special Purpose Police Regiment in Groznyy, lightly wounding four.

Groznyy

Three Ukrainian drones attacked a Rosgvardia OMON facility in Groznyy. Two were shot down by air defence, one landed on the facility but did not leave any casualties.

Groznyy

The security services reportedly detained two critics of the regime, Abdul-Vakhid Mustafinov and Mukhammad Mustafinov. The time and place of the detention was unclear.

Social media users reported on a drone attack on unspecified targets in Groznyy. Chechen Security Council Secretary Khamzat Kadyrov subsequently confirmed the attack. No casualties were reported.

Groznyy

An unknown person attacked traffic police in Achkhoy-Martan with a knife and was killed. A policeman was wounded and later died; later reports indicated a second member of the security services was wounded. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov accused Ukraine and people in Turkey of orchestrating the attack.

Achkhoy-Martan

Ulitsa Kadyrova, DPS post

1

Media reports suggested that the attacker was motivated by a humiliating clash with the security services the previous day. The attacker was identified as Eskerkhan Khumashev, 16 or 17; his body was paraded in public the following day, and his relatives were forced to leave the republic.

Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov reported that two drones had been shot down over Shelkovskiy and Nadterechnyy Rayons.

Shelkovskiy Rayon

Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov reported that two drones had been shot down over Shelkovskiy and Nadterechnyy Rayons.

Nadterechnyy Rayon

Chechen opposition group Niyso reported that a suspected explosive device had been found in a car park near the Berkat hotel.

Groznyy

Car park near Berkat hotel

Security services detained a 38-year-old Moscow resident on suspicion of planting an explosive device in a car park the day before.

Chechen opposition group NIYSO reported that five people from different villages had been abducted by the security services in connection with an explosive device found on a Groznyy bus.

Ena-Khishka

The abductees were identified as Epigov Zybayr (Eba-Khishka), Khuseyn Astamirov, Shamil Astamirov (brothers from Groznyy), Said-Magomed Kazbekovich (Alkhazurova), and Said-Amina Estamirov (Novyy Sharoy).

Chechen opposition group NIYSO reported that five people from different villages had been abducted by the security services in connection with an explosive device found on a Groznyy bus.

Novyy Sharoy

The abductees were identified as Epigov Zybayr (Eba-Khishka), Khuseyn Astamirov, Shamil Astamirov (brothers from Groznyy), Said-Magomed Kazbekovich (Alkhazurova), and Said-Amina Estamirov (Novyy Sharoy).

Chechen opposition group NIYSO reported that five people from different villages had been abducted by the security services in connection with an explosive device found on a Groznyy bus.

Alkhazurovo

The abductees were identified as Epigov Zybayr (Eba-Khishka), Khuseyn Astamirov, Shamil Astamirov (brothers from Groznyy), Said-Magomed Kazbekovich (Alkhazurova), and Said-Amina Estamirov (Novyy Sharoy).

Chechen opposition group NIYSO reported that five people from different villages had been abducted by the security services in connection with an explosive device found on a Groznyy bus.

Groznyy

The abductees were identified as Epigov Zybayr (Eba-Khishka), Khuseyn Astamirov, Shamil Astamirov (brothers from Groznyy), Said-Magomed Kazbekovich (Alkhazurova), and Said-Amina Estamirov (Novyy Sharoy).

The NIYSO Telegram channel reported that at least six of their relatives had been detained in Chechnya

The FSB reported on the detention of a man accused of arson attacks on communication facilities in Dagestan in November and December 2023. Where the detention occurred is unclear

An unknown person shot MMA fighter Magomedrasul Mutayev in Makhachkala. The Dagestani Interior Ministry identified the suspected attacker as Nadyrkhan Kadirkhanov, an 18-year-old from Kumtorkalinskiy Rayon.

Makhachkala

42.983037

47.504530

Police detained a man, Dagestani native Islam Batsiyev, on suspicion of participating in the 29 February 2000 attack on Pskov paratroopers in Chechnya. The Dagestani branch of the FSB were involved in the detention

Bayramaul

43.296251

46.727576

Security services conducted several simultaneous special operations against suspected insurgents, within the context of a counterterrorism operation in Kaspiysk and two districts of Makhachkala. Three people were detained, but it is unclear how many at each site.

Makhachkala

42.983037

47.504530

Automatic weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive device seized. Two of the detainees were natives of Tajikistan; the third came from Dagestan. The authorities linked the men to the 22 March 2024 attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

Security services conducted several simultaneous special operations against suspected insurgents, within the context of a counterterrorism operation in Kaspiysk and two districts of Makhachkala. Three people were detained, but it is unclear how many at each site.

Kaspiysk

42.890853

47.635665

Automatic weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive device seized. Two of the detainees were natives of Tajikistan; the third came from Dagestan. The authorities linked the men to the 22 March 2024 attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

Security services imposed a counterterrorism operation in Kaspiysk and two districts of Makhachkala

Makhachkala

Leninskiy and Sovetskiy Rayons

42.928703

47.552382

Security services imposed a counterterrorism operation in Kaspiysk and two districts of Makhachkala

Kaspiysk

42.890853

47.635665

Dagestani security services detained a drunk-driver who turned out to be Alikhan Tsakayev, a member of the Chechen security services.

Near FKPP Gerzel, Novolakskiy Rayon

6

Major-general Alikhan Tsakayev is head of the Emergencies Ministry Directorate for Chechnya.

Security services detain a 16-year-old, who then attacks them with a knife before being detained again

Sergokala

42.454281

47.662857

The FSB and MVD detained Kazbek Anasov, a resident of Khasavyurtovskiy Rayon, on suspicion of participating in the 1995 attack on Budennovsk

Khasavyurtovskiy Rayon

On 23 June 2024, armed men carried out simultaneous attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala, attacking churches, synagogues, and police units.

Makhachkala

Ulitsa Yermoshkina, a synagogue at the same location, and at the Holy Assumption Cathedral on Ulitsa Ordzhonikidze

42.976148

47.510189

For additional sourcing, see the Event in Review article. It is unclear how many were killed and injured across the two attack sites, therefore casualty figures have been equally divided. Discrepancies in casualty figures were partly the result of updated information, but officials also contradicted each other

On 23 June 2024, armed men carried out simultaneous attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala, attacking churches, synagogues, and police units.

Derbent

Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Orthodox Church on Ulitsa Lenina and the Kele-Numaz Synagogue on Ulitsa Tagi-Zade

42.057019

48.291269

For additional sourcing, see the Event in Review article. It is unclear how many were killed and injured across the two attack sites, therefore casualty figures have been equally divided. Discrepancies in casualty figures were partly the result of updated information, but officials also contradicted each other

Counterterrorism operation imposed in response to 23 June attacks in Dagestan

Makhachkala

42.983037

47.504530

Counterterrorism operation imposed in response to 23 June attacks in Dagestan

Derbent

42.057669

48.288776

Unidentified people opened fire on a police car in Sergokala, wounding one.

Sergokala

42.454281

47.662857

Security services detained Sergokalinskiy Rayon Head Magomed Omarov, whose relatives perpetrated the 23 June attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala

Sergokala

42.454281

47.662857

The location of the detention is presumed

Two Dagestani residents were detained for preparing a terrorist attack. The men reportedly purchased components for improvised explosive devices. The detentions occurred at some point in July, but were only reported in late November.

Kurush

Khasavyurtovskiy Rayon

43.384890

46.756394

A land conflict in Dagestan leads to armed conflict

Agachaul

Land conflict between Alibekov family and neighbours. A man and his three sons were attacked.

The Federal Security Services and Interior Ministry claimed they had detained three people planning terrorist attacks.

Kaspiysk

Ulitsa Alferova

42.883184

47.644289

The detainees, all Russian citizens, were reportedly members of an unspecified international terrorist organisation. Improvised explosive devices, components, the flag of the organisation, electronic devices were all seized.

An unknown person opened fire using a rubber-bullet handgun in Makhachkala, wounding up to three. Unclear whether the incident had any political dimension or was a personal dispute

Makhachkala

Crossroad of Ulitsa Tolstogo and Ulitsa Tankayeva, near computer club

1

Police detained a resident of Buynakskiy Rayon on suspicion of murder and attacking a police officer. The incident followed a firearms attack on a fellow resident the previous day

Traffic police attempted to detain three men, who initially escaped but were eventual detained. Two security service personnel received light wounds.

Razdolye

44.195642

46.585912

Security services detained Izberbash Mayor Magomed Isakov on suspicion of corruption

Izberbash

Security services detained three residents of Dagestan in Dagestan and St Petersburg on suspicion of membership of an extremist group. The distribution of arrests across the two sites and the exact location were not clear.

Security services detained the wife of former Sergokalinskiy Rayon Head Magomed Omarov, accusing her of abusing her role as head of a kindergarten

The Investigative Committee, FSB, Interior Ministry and Rosgvardia detained three men — Adam Magamadov, Samail Batayev, and Rustam Chagilov — on suspicion of belonging to a group led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab and participating in a 2000 attack in Chechnya. The operation occurred across Volgograd Oblast, Dagestan and Karachayevo-Cherkessia

Pokrovskoye

Khasavyurtovskiy Rayon

43.286743

46.665269

Security services detained four people — Agakhan Alibegov, Devlet Ismailov, Alim Guzhayev, and Kamil Selimov — on charges of creating and financing a terrorist group

Derbent

42.057669

48.288776

A drone was shot down over Kaspiysk. No casualties were reported.

Kaspiysk

Security services detained five people on suspicion of organising a terrorist community and planning attacks. The leader of the group was Yalimkhan Aliyev, another member was an imam in Serebryakovka. Kommersant deduced from the court dates that the detentions occurred on 29 November, although details did not become public until multiple reports appeared throughout early December. Subsequent reporting increased the number of detainees to 12. The detentions occurred across multiple locations, including Serebryakovka and Astrakhan.

Serebryakovka

Kizlyarskiy Rayon

43.979902

46.833398

Two IEDs, firearms, ammunition, and 1,000kg of ammonium nitrate seized

The security services reported on the discovery of three caches containing weapons in December 2024 and January 2025. No further details of when and where the incidents occurred were published

Across the three incidents, more than 3,000 Kalashnikov cartridges, five grenades, two firearms, and more than 20 weapons parts were seized.

The security services reported on the discovery of three caches containing weapons in December 2024 and January 2025. No further details of when and where the incidents occurred were published

Across the three incidents, more than 3,000 Kalashnikov cartridges, five grenades, two firearms, and more than 20 weapons parts were seized.

The security services reported on the discovery of three caches containing weapons in December 2024 and January 2025. No further details of when and where the incidents occurred were published

Across the three incidents, more than 3,000 Kalashnikov cartridges, five grenades, two firearms, and more than 20 weapons parts were seized.

Several drones attacked facilities in Kaspiysk, but did not cause casualties

Kaspiysk

Three unknown people attacked a police officer in the Dagestani city of Derbent, seizing his firearm and then shooting at him. One police officer was seriously wounded and the attackers were detained.

Derbent

3

Police stopped a car to check the driver’s ID. The 31-year-old man opened fire on police in response, before being wounded and detained.

Khuchni

1

A man was detained as an accomplice to the four people killed in a special operation on 5 March. It is not clear when and where he was detained; the presumption is that it took place within the context of the operation, but it was not reported until several days later.

Semender

Security services killed four suspected insurgents during a special operation in Semender, Makhachkala. They were accused of planning an attack in Kaspiysk. The security services reported on the seizure of grenade launchers, grenades, automatic weapons, a pistol, and cartridges.

Semender

See 🖊️A Dagestani counterterrorism op illustrates the challenges of researching violence in the North Caucasus

The security services imposed a KTO on Semender, Makhachala, as part of a search for insurgents.

Semender

The security services claimed that a driver had refused to stop, attacked them, and opened fire. The driver was killed, one member of the security services injured. Four other people, accused of preparing an attack on the security services in Derbent, were detained.

Derbent

Ulitsa Makachkalinskaya

The attacker was identified as 21-year-old Amir Mamedov. Most reports were not clear whether the four were detained at the same time, but Kommersant reported that the five people were part of the same group and Mamedov died during the arrest.

Security services detained Khasavyurt imam Yakhya Magomedov and his son on unknown grounds. Both were subsequently released.

Khasavyurt

The FSB and MVD detained a 29-year-old female supporter of an international terrorist organisation on charges of planning a terrorist attack on a law enforcement building in Khasavyurt. She reportedly coordinated her plans via Telegram.

Khasavyurt

IED components seized

A group of people attacked security services in Makhachkala using assault rifles during a document check. Three members of the security services and two attackers were killed. Accounts of the number of attackers varied, but some attackers appeared to have escaped; one was detained. Later sources also seemed to settle on five wounded. The authorities classified the event as a terrorist attack.

Makhachkala

Intersection of Ulitsa Magomedtagirova and Ulitsa Kerimova

4

The attackers took advantage of a road traffic accident and at least one escaped in a police car. The two men killed were identified as Batal Magomedovich Magomedov and Akhmed Shamilovich Alimagomedov, both born in 2000.

Security services detained one man suspected of involvement in the 1999 invasion of Dagestan led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab.

Kaytagskiy Rayon

The security services reported on the detention of four people accused of involvement of attacks, led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab, on Russian military personnel in 1999 and 2000. The arrests took place across four republics, but no more precise incident location information was provided.

The four detainees were identified as Arsen Koldasov (Stavropol Kray), Batyr Arsanov (Ingushetia), Radzhab Khasayev (Dagestan), and Rasul Takhtamirov (Astrakhan Oblast).

A local resident ran over a policeman whilst trying to escape traffic police officers.

Makhachkala

Junction of Ulitsa Yaragskiy and Ulitsa Kazak

Police opened fire during an attempt to arrest a man accused of running over a police officer several days earlier. One off-duty police officer located nearby was fatally wounded in the incident and the suspect was detained.

Makhachkala

Ulitsa Primakova

The reporting is a little confused. That on the second incident suggests that the two were temporally continuous, but the reporting on the first incident was dated a couple of days earlier.

An unknown man opened fire near a shopping centre in Makhachkala. The man escaped and a second participant in the clash was detained. The incident appeared to be a non-political dispute, based on one man looking at the wife of another in an allegedly inappropriate manner.

Makhachkala

Etazhi shopping centre, junction of Prospekt Gamidova and Prospekt Imama Shamilya

2

A man was detained for his involvement in an incident where fire was opened near a shopping centre in Makhachkala in a non-political dispute.

Makhachkala

Police reported that a man dressed in a niqab had opened fire on police during a document check. It later became clear that the man was wanted and the attack occurred much earlier

Khasavyurt-Tlokh road

41-year-old Chechen native Ali Demilkhanov accused of opening fire on police during a document check. The press service of the Dagestani Interior Ministry later clarified that the attack occurred in 2017, and Demilkhanov had now been spotted wearing a niqab.

TO COMPLETE AND RESTORE. Witness in terrorism case killed. Link to 8b72c40d-a443-4d63-ad32-8fc5e41eaf62 on completion

Nazran-Surkhakhi road

The 39-year-old man killed in the attack was a witness in a terrorism case

Security services detained a man accused of assisting the perpetrators of a March 2023 attack on police in Ingushetia.

The detained man was identified as 60-year-old Mussa Barakhoyev, who was accused of aiding Adam Ozdoyev and Amirkkhan Gurazhev. No location was provided

Security services detained Sunzha resident Khalit Akhmetov on suspicion of aiding insurgents involved in a March 2023 attack

Security services discovered an arms cache filled with five zinc boxes, more than 1,800 cartridges, and several portable firearms

Psedakh

Malgobekskiy Rayon

43.469840

44.569877

Security services searched dozens of people on suspicion of involvement in the attempted murder of local resident Adam Arapiyev, who was a witness in a terrorism case. Two people were detained on terrorism charges as a result

Weapons, explosive device seized

FSB spetsnaz blockaded a group of six suspected rebels during a special operation in Karabulak. The incident formed part of a broader counterterrorism operation in the city. All of the suspects — Amirkhan Gurazhev, Tagir Tsuroyev, Bers Chemurziyev, Mikhail Tutayev, Magomet Barkinkhoyev, and Zelimkhan Tsuroyev — were accused of being members of the Islamic State and were killed in the incident.

Karabulak

Ulitsa Oskanova

43.306749

44.906772

The suspected insurgents were accused of involvement in an attack on a security service post in March 2023. They were identified as Islamic State members 34-year-old Amirkhan Gurazhev, 24-year-old Zelimkhan Tsuroyev, 24-year-old Magomed Barkinkhoyev, 32-year-old Tagir Tsuroyev, 24-year-old Mikhail Tutayev and 26-year-old Bers Chemurziyev. Ingushetian Head Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov claimed they men were planning to carry out an attack ahead of Russian presidential elections. North Caucasus Federal District Plenipotentiary Yuriy Chayka claimed the men were members of the Ingush Liberation Army

FSB spetsnaz blockaded a group of six suspected rebels during a special operation in Ingushetia. The incident formed part of a broader counterterrorism operation in the city.

Karabulak

Ulitsa Rabochaya, Ulitsa Oskanova, Ulitsa Naberezhnaya, Ulitsa Dzhabagiyeva

43.306749

44.906772

End date presumed

Security services discover an improvised explosive device in a person’s home and detain him on suspicion of membership of the Islamic State.

Troitskaya

Sunzhenskiy Rayon

43.302589

44.999317

Authorities linked the 21-year-old owner of the house to the people killed in the 3 March 2024 special operation in Karabulak.

Security services discover an arms cache belonging to an insurgent killed on 3 March 2024.

Alkhasty

Sunzhenskiy Rayon

43.184295

44.992714

Security services claimed the cache belonged to Tagir Tsuroyev. It contained medication and supplies

Security services arrested a man and seized a Kalashnikov and ammunition.

Alkhasty

Sunzhenskiy Rayon

43.184295

44.992714

Authorities detained a local resident and seized a Kalashnikov, an empty magazine and 12 cartridges, and homemade ammunition

Security services discovered an improvised explosive device in a house where a participant in an earlier attack lived

Sunzha

Ulitsa Chechenskaya

43.336302

45.031988

The house was used by a participant in the 28 March 2023 attack in Kantyshevo

Security services detained a man for aiding insurgents and being responsible for an armed cache found earlier

Alkhasty

43.184295

44.992714

Security services detained jiu-jitsu fighter Seyd-Umar Imagozhev for failing to inform the authorities about militants who were killed in Karabulak