During periods of calm, the Russian side still suffered casualties. The bodies of the dead came home as heroes, fell "the death of the brave."
In fact, more than half of the Russian soldiers did not want to fight at all. They didn't care if the Chechen Republic will be Russian or not.
Contract soldiers came from hopelessness. Some from lack of money, someone loomed a criminal term. Everyone had their own reason, but this is not a desire to fight. In fact, no one asked the conscript soldiers. Drove the fragile youths - fight.
Most of the military, at the slightest opportunity, got drunk to a pig's squeal. From the stress of the field, from the fear that they can kill, from the fact that for months they could not get the money earned by the war, from boredom in the end.
Almost all the loss of human souls during periods of calm was from alcohol.
It's simple: got drunk - had a fight - a shot. The saddest thing is this kind of deed did not become a resonance. They were all around. No one paid attention.
It was written off by papers on "evil mujahideen" and "careless handling of weapons." The guys died in fights between themselves and at the hands of the officers, at guardhouses, because of drunk drivers, BMPs turned over.