Russia's most wanted man is dead. Shamil Basayev, the leader of Chechen rebels who has masterminded acts of terror that have claimed hundreds of lives, was killed this week in an explosion. His death is a victory for the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a blow to the cause Basayev headed; it will not end the separatist movement, however, nor is it likely to halt the violence.
Chechen separatists have fought two wars with Russia over the past 15 years. The first began in 1991, when Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev declared independence from Russia. Full-scale fighting broke out in 1994, and for two years the sides fought to a bloody standstill.
Basayev, a former member of the Soviet military who was said to have been selling computers in Moscow, was one of the rebels' most successful field commanders. The stalemate on the battlefield resulted in virtual independence for Chechnya. Basayev ran for president but lost; he briefly served as prime minister in 1998.