My name is Aslan and I am from the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, known otherwise as Chechenia/Chechnya/Chechenistan. So I can say that my country is independent. From 1991 when the USSR fell to pieces, my country's first President Djokhar Dudayev declared Chechnya's cessation, but in 1994 Russia invaded under the premise of "restoring constitutional order". But the Chechens rightfully expelled the Russian military in 1996, and they also accepte our independence!
One of Russia's ulterior motives to start this war against Chechenia was because my country has the best quality oil reserves in the world and also has a very strategically-important place in Caucasus. Firstly, with regards to petrol, we represented potential major competition to Russia, not to mention Asia and of course Europe. Also, without petrol Russia is like a baloon without air, because the Russian economy lives & breathes oil; it is integral to its national machinations.
After the first Russian-Chechen war soon in 1999-2000 Russia started the second campaign which continues to this day...