Internet gives first news of militant successes While the news often appears exaggerated, and may sometimes be false, the site has provided useful tip-offs about incidents left unmentioned, or denied and only later admitted, by official Russian sources. In October the Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, acknowledged that his government had some catching up to do if it was to use the web as effectively as the Chechens. In August Russian hackers made the first of several attacks on Kavkaz-Tsentr, though it was quickly repaired. Wild claims Chechen hackers have retaliated with similar tricks. For example, on 24 January they put up a front page on one of the Russian sites which claimed, wildly, that nearly a quarter of Russian soldiers sent to Chechnya had perished, and boasted that Western and Russian media were getting their breaking news from the rebel site.
Visitors just have to click on the advertisement to get news seen from the rebel perspective.
The Russian authorities have tried to enlist foreign help to close down rebel sites, and in September Interior Minister Vladimir Rushaylo claimed the FBI had assented. Another pro-Chechen site that has been quoted in the Western media is called Jihad in Chechnya. It also shows gruesome pictures of those who have died in the war, apparently with the aim of inspiring Muslim militants to join the fight. There are numerous other websites which provide publicity and moral support for the Chechen cause based in the US, Turkey, and the Baltic states. Some also provide bank details where donations can supposedly be made.