BBC World Service, and now witness history.

Today we're taking you back to this day, 28 years ago, when Russian forces invaded Chechnya

for the first time.

Aslan Dukaiyev was an English lecturer when the war began.

In 2010, he spoke to Ed Butler.

It's December 1994, and the breakaway Russian Republic of Chechnya is under attack.

And troops sent by Moscow.

Despite fierce resistance from separatist fighters, three Russian divisions with air support

have been ordered to move in and seize the capital, Grozny.

It was an epic battle.

A lot of tanks, APCs destroyed in the center of Grozny.

You could see charred bodies of Russian soldiers in many places and the time-tows.

Aslan Dukaiyev was an English teacher at the university at the time, and he remembers

the first days of the siege as a daily struggle for survival.

The most dangerous thing for us for civilians was first mortar fire and second sniper fire.

The Russians had the marksmen on various buildings, and it was really tough at the time, so

we had to hide, we had to run.

And of course, the mortar fire is quite indiscriminate, but you get used to that in several days

unfortunate.

What is very difficult to get used to is the bombs, you know, the sound.

It's terrifying, it's deafening, and it really affects your psychology.

It really is terrifying.

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