Jeremy Bowen's account of reporting from Grozny

Jeremy Bowen remembers Grozny in January 1995 as the most violent and dangerous place he had encountered. His BBC crew drove through shell holes, wrecked cars, fallen masonry, and constant gunfire in an armored Land Rover struggling with poor local petrol. He hoped the armor would protect them against lesser threats, while recognizing that a direct shell hit would defeat it. Approaching the parliament building in daylight appeared suicidal, so the crew headed for a damaged apartment block that offered a view into the area. A nearby shell sent them running for the entrance, where Bowen gashed his hand while climbing over a wall in heavy protective clothing. A Chechen fighter warned that their exposed parking place put the vehicle at risk, and Kurt moved it beside the building.