In the Astrakhan and Moscow regions, employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, with assistance from other federal services, have detained three members of an illegal military group that participated in attacks on Russian forces led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab during 1999 and 2000. The announcement was made on April 10 by Svetlana Petrenko, the official representative of the Investigative Committee.
The individuals—Hadis Khalilov, Ali Aliyev, and Turko Boltiev—were charged with armed rebellion, gang participation, and encroachment on military personnel under articles 279, 209, and 317 of the Russian Criminal Code.
According to the Investigative Committee, Khalilov and Aliyev were part of a group led by Basayev and Khattab when they attacked a federal security post in Dagestan on August 2-3, 1999.
Meanwhile, Boltiev was identified as having participated in an attack on soldiers of the 6th company of the 104th regiment of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division in Chechnya on February 29, 2000. During that incident, Boltiev fired shots with a Kalashnikov assault rifle at the troops.
On December 25, 2025, Russian authorities also reported detaining Alibi Yaipkaev, another member of the Basayev and Khattab group, on suspicion of participating in armed rebellions in Dagestan during August 1999. The investigation indicated that Yayipkaev actively engaged in attacks targeting military personnel involved in counter-terrorism operations.
Shamil Basayev, a terrorist leader associated with Chechen separatism, was active in Abkhazia (1992-1993) and Chechnya (1994-1996). He orchestrated the Budennovsk attack and was eliminated by Russian security forces during a special operation in Ingushetia in 2006.
