In 2002, after terrorists took 800 theatergoers hostage, Putin ordered that an anti-terrorist component be added to Russia's military strategic plan. Some military analysts saw this as the beginning, at long last, of serious reforms, as the army was capable only of executing military operations in Russia's traditional way, i.e., using overwhelming force, as in WWII.
早在别斯兰袭击之前，多数俄国人对此就了然于胸。2002年恐怖分子劫持剧院800名人质后，普京就宣布在俄国的军事战略计划中加入反恐的内容。有些军事分析家把这作为重大改革的开始，这场改革旷日持久，因为俄国军队只能执行传统意义上的军事任务，像二战时那样依靠人数的绝对优势取胜。