The 2004 Grozny stadium bombing occurred on 9 May 2004 when a bomb exploded in the Dynamo Stadium in the Chechen capital,

Grozny Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 328,533 — up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Russian Census, 2002 ce ...

, killing 10 people including the republic's president

Akhmad Kadyrov Akhmat-Khadzhi Abdulkhamidovich Kadyrov (23 August 1951 – 9 May 2004) was a Chechen politician and revolutionary who served as Chief Mufti of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in the 1990s during and after the First Chechen War. At the outbreak ...

. Another 100 people were wounded.

Background

The attack occurred during a parade and concert celebrating the 59th anniversary of the defeat of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Bombing

The explosion was caused by a bomb planted underneath the concrete floor of the VIP podium and occurred at 10:35 am during a cultural presentation that followed the parade. The blast tore a hole in the section designated for dignitaries. Other fatalities of the attack included Khussein Isayev (Chairman of the State Council), and Adlan Khasanov (a reporter for

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

). Colonel General Valery Baranov, the '' de facto'' commander of the

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

in the

northern Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

, lost a leg in the attack. Although estimates of total casualties varied, at least ten people were killed and around a hundred more injured, including many civilians and war veterans who were attending the celebrations. The blast was detonated by remote control and was installed below the VIP section where Kadyrov was sitting. It was supposedly planted some time before, during the recent renovations to the venue. The type of explosive was identical to one used to blow up a similar parade two years prior in the Dagestani city of

Kaspiysk Kaspiysk (; Lezgin: Каспи ; ) is a city in Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea, southeast of Makhachkala. The 2010 Russian census recorded the city as being the fourth-largest in Dagestan. It is a working-class satellite city to ...

. Two other blasts were prevented as emergency services defused a landmine and an additional explosive device. On 12 May, another explosive device was found in the stadium.

Investigation

Initial investigations focused on the security staff at the stadium and the builders who took part in the renovations. Investigators had given a more specific list of suspects who were under investigation to the

State Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of Russia, Constitution of t ...

Reactions

Rebel leader

Shamil Basayev Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (; ; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006), also known by his '' kunya'' Abu Idris, was a Chechen guerrilla leader who served as a senior military commander in the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He held the rank ...

claimed that he was involved in and had organized the blast. The attack may have been intended to sow panic and disorder among the pro-Russian Chechen leadership. The Russian-appointed Prime Minister Sergey Abramov served as president until new elections were held sometime before September, as stipulated by the republic's

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

. Another man was later arrested and cooperated with the investigators in providing useful information.

Legacy

The Victory Day holiday has subsequently also served as a day of remembrance for the victims of the attack. On 9 May, the entire leadership of the republic visit the grave of the president in Tsentoroy and pray there. This takes place prior to a Victory Day parade on a square named in Kadyrov's honor.

References