Taking advantage of the Soviet Union's collapse, Dzhokhar Dudayev and his militants acted against the legitimate government and Zavgayev's administration. On September 6, 1991, militants of the All-National Congress of Chechen People (NCChP), who mainly consisted of freed inmates from Chechen jails, headed by Dudayev, stormed a session of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR Supreme Soviet, killing the Soviet Communist Party chief for Grozny, Vitali Kutsenko, severely injuring several other Soviet members, and effectively overthrowing the legitimate government of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR. Zavgayev, the Chairman of the Soviet, was not present. Trying to avoid further bloodshed he was compelled to leave the republic, publicly announcing that he would return.