[CaptainCrunch]

Its funny up until the theatre rescue Russians used Spetznaz, a highly specialized group of special warfare soldiers. Highly trained, highly specialized they had a reputation for competance especially for situations like this one.

The Afghans hated these guys because they were the only ones that were willing to fight and win in the mountains where the rebels came from.

They were known to have very competant leadership, and every member had to be a combat veteran and into his second or third tour of the Russian Military which would make them sergants or higher, (the promotion system dosen't work the same way as it does in NATO countries)

This dosen't sound like thier work at all

It also sounds like the tactical situation was screwed up when hostages made a run for it, and the commando's closed on the school to pull them out. They lost any control right there and had no choice but to rush the school.

If you look at any hostage rescue crisis, entries are usually well planned to surprise the enemy, and you have enough intelligence to know where the enemies are so you can go in and kill them before they the surprise wears off.

Russia's military has eroded faster then our military here in Canada. But they do have some troops that are well funded and well trained and well equiped. Thier special forces is one of them, as are some of the armoured guards units around thier major cities.

It would be interesting to know who these commando's were, I have a feeling that they might have been attached to law enforcement as opposed to military.

I'm not willing to blame the deaths on the troops entirely as the situation dissolved into chaos and when you lose control of the hostage takers and have to storm without a plan, deaths are going to occur.

Pretty sad tho