Russian Alpha Group

Russian Alpha Group - Nord-Ost Theatre Siege, 2002

"900 hostages. 40 terrorists. Alpha Group's solution was so extreme, it killed 130 hostages too."

STORY: October 2002. Chechen terrorists seized Moscow's Dubrovka Theatre during a musical performance, wiring the building with explosives and holding 850 people hostage. For three days, they threatened to blow up everyone. Alpha Group, Russia's premier counter-terrorism unit, planned an unprecedented assault. They pumped an unknown chemical agent through the ventilation system, a knockout gas designed to incapacitate everyone inside. When terrorists began collapsing, Alpha operators stormed in wearing gas masks. They moved through rows of unconscious hostages, shooting every terrorist with precision headshots. All 40 terrorists died. But the gas was too powerful. Despite warning medical teams, 130 hostages died from the gas before they could be treated. Alpha Group completed their mission perfectly, yet the operation remains controversial. They saved 700 lives but lost 130 in the process. The Russian government never revealed what gas was used.