Chechnya Celebrates Independence

Russia’s breakaway republic of Chechnya celebrated the sixth anniversary of its self-proclaimed independence on Saturday with a military parade that included captured Russian armor.

Several dozen armored personnel carriers rolled through downtown Grozny, the Chechen capital, which was heavily damaged in the 1994-96 independence war with Moscow.

The republic’s National Guard also marched, as a crowd of some 100,000 people shouted joyously. Some Chechen fighters fired their guns in the air after the parade and others joined in a traditional Chechen circle dance.