WThe Beslan school siege started on 1 September 2004, lasted three days, involved the imprisonment of over 1,100 people as hostages, and ended with the deaths of either 331 or 334 people.
WSpetsgruppa "A", also known as Alpha Group, or Alfa, whose official name is Directorate "A" of the FSB Special Purpose Center, is an elite, stand-alone sub-unit of Russia's special forces. It is a dedicated counter-terrorism task force of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), which primarily prevents and responds to violent acts in public transportation and buildings. It was created by the Soviet KGB in 1974. Although little is known about the exact nature of its primary directives, it is speculated that the unit is authorised to act under the direct control and sanction of Russia's top political leadership, similar to its sister unit, the Directorate "V" (Vympel), which is officially tasked with protecting Russia's strategic installations. It is also available for extended police duties, for paramilitary operations, and for covert operations, both domestically and internationally.
WAslambek Akhmedovich Aslakhanov is the State Duma deputy from Chechnya, advisor and former aide to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
WRuslan Sultanovich Aushev was the president of Ingushetia from March 1993 to December 2001. He was reportedly the youngest officer in the Soviet army to reach the rank of lieutenant general. He was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 7 May 1982 for his actions in Afghanistan. Aushev has emerged as Ingushetia's most popular politician, having kept peace and stability during the Chechen war.
WShamil Salmanovich Basayev was a senior leader of the Chechen movement.
WAleksandr Sergeyevich Dzasokhov is the former head of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.
WYanis Kanidis was a Russian physical education teacher, born in Georgia of Caucasus Greek origin.
WAnatoly Mikhailovich Kashpirovsky is a Russian psychotherapist of Ukrainian origin, claimed to be a hypnotist and a psychic healer. He enjoyed great popularity in the Soviet Union. Around 2010 he was again performing mass healing rituals in front of large audiences, although he never returned to his former popularity.
WGeneral of the Army Vladimir Yegorovich Pronichev is the current head of the Border Guard Service of the Russian Federation. Pronichev also holds the title of First Deputy Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor organization to KGB.
WRiyad-us Saliheen was the name of a small "martyr" (shahid) force of Islamic suicide attackers. Its original leader (amir) was the Chechen separatist commander Shamil Basayev. In February and March 2003 the group was designated by the United States and subsequently by the United Nations as a terrorist organization. After several years of inactivity, Riyad-us Saliheen was reactivated by the Caucasus Emirate in 2009 under the command of Said Buryatsky; following his death, Aslan Byutukayev became its new leader.
WLeonid Mikhailovich Roshal is a noted pediatrician from Moscow, Russia, expert for the World Health Organization, and chairman of International Charity Fund to Help Children in Disasters and Wars.
WSpetsgruppa "V", often referred to as Vympel, but also known as KGB Directorate "V" , Vega Group is a Russian spetsnaz unit, under the command of the FSB.