Viktor Kazantsev

General of the Army Viktor Germanovich Kazantsev was a Russian military officer and politician who was the envoy of the Russian president to the Southern Federal District from 2000 to 2004. He performed primary negotiations between the Russian government and the Chechen opposition. Decorated with the Hero of the Russian Federation title, he was involved in coordinating the government responses to various violent actions in Chechnya. Kazanstev was also involved in coordinating the rescue attempt during the Moscow theatre hostage situation, which took place in October 2002.