sentences:  The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (Chechnya) had been "de facto" independent from Russia since the beginning of the First Chechen War in 1994.During this independence the secular government weakened, and Chechnya came under the increasing influence of warlords and Islamist rule.In August 1999, the War of Dagestan began when Chechen Islamists invaded the Russian state of Dagestan, but were defeated by the Russian military in a month.