The Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis occurred in October 2002 when a group of armed militants from the Chechen Republic took over the Dubrovka Theater during a performance of the musical "Nord-Ost." They held around 850 hostages, demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya and the recognition of Chechen independence. After a tense standoff lasting three days, Russian special forces stormed the theater using a gas to incapacitate the attackers. The operation resulted in the deaths of all 40 militants and over 170 hostages, raising significant concerns about the methods used and the overall handling of the crisis by the Russian government.