3 Armenians were convicted & executed after a secret trial. Later emerged at least one of them had a cast-iron alibi. Sakharov & others thought the bombings were a provocation to discredit the emerging Human Rights movement.

In an election speech in Kazan, Tatarstan, Following this statements various Republics, notably Chechnya, follow his advice

On the same day, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR passed a Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, calling for a national referendum on the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union.

Dzhokhar Dudayev wins 1st elections a month later

Leaders of Russian, Ukrainian & Belarus soviet republics declare the USSR finished, behind Gen Sec Gorbachev's back

December 25, Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union – or, as he put it, "I hereby discontinue my activities at the post of President of the USSR."

Bloody conflict between the President and the Russian legislature results in greatly increased powers for the Presidency

Captain Andrey Shchelenkov. employee of Maz Lazovsky's firm

Colonel Vladimir Vorobyev, associate of Max Lazovsky

State Duma Deputy Hamid Gamidov was killed by a bomb at the entrance to his home in Makhachkala. His death allowed Nadyr Khachilaev to take his seat in the Duma, a key figure in the 1999 Dagestan events.

Sentenced for minor weapons offences, released after 2 years

Was investigating Max Lazovsky gang that had carried out earlier bombings. From Blowing Up Russia: "On April 12 1997 at the age of 39 Tskhai died suddenly from cirrhosis of the liver, although he didn’t drink or smoke. Presumably he was poisoned by the FSB because he had discovered the identities of the true leaders of Lazovsky’s group and realized exactly who had organized the explosions in Moscow. "

Murder initially blamed on wife but 3 burned corpses found near Rokhlin's home. FSB General Trofimov and Litvinenko agreed with many of Rokhlin's colleagues that his killing was orchestrated by the FSB and the assassins were subsequently killed. Apparently motivation for Litvinenko & team to whistle blow in 98 when given order to undertake killings - ie they realised if they started down the road of extra-legal killings they would likely become victims themselves.

In the first Chechen War, Yeltsin was impeached for using the Army inside Russia, against the constitution. "Federal Law No. 130-FZ of July 25, 1998 on the Struggle against Terrorism" removed that constraint

The Ryazan training exercise was supposedly a Vympel training operation https://www.spisok-putina.org/en/personas/tikhonov/

Sergei Stepashin, then Interior Minister, later revealed that the decision to intervene in Chechnya was made in March 1999, with the invasion scheduled for August or September. This indicates the military campaign was prepared months prior to the apartment bombings and the Dagestan invasion.

Worst terrorist bombing in Russia since Perestroika

https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/apr/03/jamesmeek

Russian Prosecutor General Skuratov issues arrest warrant for Berezovsky on Aeroflot corruption charges. Aeroflot linked to SVR, headed by Primakov

Jan Blomgren of the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet and Giulietto Chiesa of La Stampa write that there will be acts of “state terrorism” occuring in coming months in Russia

This meeting allegedly brought together Aleksandr Voloshin and Shamil Basaev to orchestrate the Dagestan incursion. It was reportedly monitored by French intelligence.

Aleksandr Zhilin writing in Moskovskaya pravda claimed there would terror attacks in Moscow aiming to undermine Yeltsin opponent and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Warnings were passed to Moscow Deputy Mayor Yastrzhembskii. Source identified as Sergei Zverev, deputy head of Presidential Administration.

Yusuf Krymshamkhalov bribed GIBDD inspector Stanislav Lyubichev to ensure the passage of a truck carrying explosives into Kislovodsk. The vehicle, driven by R.Sh. Magayaev and escorted by A.O. Dekkushev, delivered the materials to the warehouses of CJSC Realbaza Khleboproduktov.

Putin won 232 votes of the 450 seat Duma, needing 226 to win. Without the 18 votes from the liberal Yabloko party he would have lost.

Journalist Alexander Khinshtein wrote in Moskovy Komsomolets "this means to paralyse all work for at least two months. Is this wrecking? Is it treason?"