Analysts say that terrorism has been a major concern in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

VOA: standard.2009.11.27

As many as 100,000 people may have died in the two wars between Russia and Chechnya since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but exact figures are not known.

VOA: standard.2009.03.26

The counterterrorism operation in Chechnya was instituted in 1999, when Russia sent troops for the second time since the collapse of the Soviet Union to put down a local separatist movement.

VOA: standard.2009.04.16

The 58-year-old Ghimpu and his pro-Western coalition, dubbed the 'Alliance for European Integration', seek closer ties with the European Union and want to take the former Soviet republic out of Russia's sphere of influence.

VOA: standard.2009.08.29