The Kremlin put large amounts of money into rebuilding the Chechen economy, including building schools, hospitals, and houses, and had good reason to argue that the war in Chechnya was over. The Chechen people were exhausted, and there was no one left to lead the fight.89 On the other hand, Russian repression of Chechen separatists promoted the spread of the conflict to neighboring areas in the North Caucasus, especially Ingushetia, Dagestan, Karbardino-Balkariya, and North Ossetia.90 In Ingushetia, for example, death squads reportedly carried out summary executions of those appearing on
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