October 27, 2002 – BBC World Service – Radio Moscow World Service – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
October 27, 2002 – news for this was about the end of a three-day hostage ordeal in Moscow. An estimated 40 to 50 armed Chechens took over The Dubrovka Theater in Moscow on October 23rd, holding the audience of some 850 hostage while demanding Russia withdraw from Chechnya and end the war.
Over the next three days, some hostages managed to escape, while others, including children, pregnant women, foreigners, some 200 were released. But the terrorists swore they would begin killing the remaining hostages if they or their demands weren’t taken seriously.
The drama dragged out until Russian Special forces eventually stormed the Theater on the third day, after two hostages were shot. Gas was set off in the theatre air-conditioning system, designed to drug the hostages as well as the terrorists. The chemical agent was later purported to be a Fentanyl-based aerosol. However, several of the armed terrorists had gas masks and a gun battle ensued.
In the end, all 40 terrorists and some 130 hostages had been killed.
Much of the world news centered around this episode and the aftermath, as well as reactions from various heads of state.
And this is what it sounded like on October 27, 2002 as reported first, by BBC World Service and then by Radio Moscow English service news.
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