1995 Shali cluster bomb attack

The 1995 Shali cluster bomb attack refers to an incident which occurred on January 3, 1995, in which Russian fighter-jets repeatedly bombed the Chechen town of Shali with cluster bombs.

A total of eighteen cluster bombs were reportedly dropped in and around Shali on that day in several runs. The bombs hit a roadside market first. Then, the bombs struck a gas station and a hospital, in which civilians, as well as Russian soldiers, were being treated. The aircraft then went on to strafe a Muslim cemetery. A school and a collective farm were also targeted.

At least 55 people were killed (including five medical workers), and 186 people were wounded. An estimate by the Russian presidential human rights office put the number of killed at over 100. No military targets were reported in the area at the time of the attack.