Re: Russia murders the last freely elected Chechan president
It’ll have minimal effect on the Chechen war. The military units reporting to Maskhadov were the Chechan regulars, who were crushed quickly in 1999.
It was his deputy (appointed after the war started), Shamil Basayev, who commanded the irregulars who are continuing the defence of Chechnya today.
Maskhadov was more of a figurehead, who through his democratic election granted the Resistance legitimacy as representing the Free government of Chechnya.
I guess that following his martyrdom, Shamil Basayev will now succeed him as overall leader of the Free chechan government.