Some 25,000 deaths later, the 40,000 Russian troops that poured into the region now control two-thirds of Chechnya. A half-hearted truce has been in effect since July. Grozny, the capital, is a jungle.
Russian forces patrol the city, where snipers and car bombs continue to claim lives.
Tension between the two sides is high. Still dazed, the people of Grozny pick through the ruins of their homes. Solitary figures wander where families once lived. Broken shells of buildings, disfigured by bombs and bullets, give the impression the city itself is wounded. Patience is in short supply, and people fear there might not be enough bread to go around.