The collapse of the USSR and the Russian Federation establishment marked the trend of sovereignization of the autonomous republics. This process has gone farthest in the Chechen-Ingush Republic, where a group of former Russian General D. Dudayev came to power in 1991 and embarked on a course of proclaiming the full independence of the Chechen Republic, i.e. Ichkeria. In 1993, the political situation in the Republic aggravated, armed clashes between the opponents of the regime and government power structures took place. The internal situation in Russia, which resulted in the plundering of the country's national property, demanded the diversion of public attention. This was done through the development of a Chechen "threat" and the need to establish constitutional order in Chechnya. The first Russian-Chechen military campaign of 1994-1996, conceived as a "small victorious war," turned into a protracted, bloody and extremely unpopular armed conflict in Russian society. Despite the fact that by 1996 the intensity of hostilities had significantly decreased, it was obvious that in the conditions of the ongoing war it would be impossible to ensure the re-election of Boris Yeltsin for a second presidential term. To do so, following the physical elimination of D. Dudaev a negotiation process was initiated with Z. Yandarbiev who replaced him. At the end of May 1996, another ceasefire agreement was signed in Moscow, after which Boris Yeltsin flew to Chechnya and announced the victorious end of the war during the meeting with federal servicemen.