Chechnya is a long bloody mess for the Russians. The government lets very little media in, and consequently reliable information on Chechnya is hard to obtain. Russia bitterly opposes any countries interference with "it's" conflict. Did I say conflict? There is no conflict, only minor "disputes".

As for foreign ventures, the Russian economy is seriously damaged, and unless provided with major financial support, I doubt Russian troops will be deployed far from friendly nations. Exactly, why should they?

The more I think of Russia, the more it reminds me of the USSR. *shivers*