RAMZAN KADYROV: Are Chechens Fighting in Ukraine?

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Chechens, and their flashy leader Ramzan Kadyrov, are currently in Ukraine fighting for the Russian side. They have a fierce reputation as ruthless fighters. However, experts say that the Chechens are not actively participating in combat, they are there just for numbers and an enhanced PR campaign. 

WHO IS RAMZAN KADYROV?

Chechnya has a very long and complicated history with Russia. After fighting in two wars against the mother land, now it is supporting them in the war with Ukraine for the second time in eight years. 

Ramzan Kadyrov is the leader of the Chechen Republic. He came to power in 2007, soon after turning 30 years old. That was the minimum age to be able to rule Chechnya. His father, Akhmad Kadyrov, switched sides in the Second Chechen War, to ally with Russia. He became president in 2003, and one year later he was assassinated with a car bomb while attending the Soviet Day Victory Parade in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya.

Ramzan Kadyrov and his family (source: Ramzan Kadyrov / Instagram)

Ramzan, at the time of his father's death was 27 years old. This meant that he was not old enough to take over the leadership position. As such, Alu Alkhanov took over in the period 2004-2007. In that time, Kadyrov served as the Deputy Prime Minister from 2004 to November 2005. After that, he was appointed caretaker prime minster after then-current prime minister, Sergey Abramov, had a car accident. On 1 March 2006, Abramov resigned and Kadyrov was appointed the new Prime Minister a few days later. 

During the early days of his political career, Kadyrov implemented parts of sharia law and built ''Europe's largest mosque''. The Akhmad Kadyrov mosque is located in Grozny, and is officially known as the ''Heart of Chechnya''. 

In 2007, with a decree signed by Vladimir Putin, Kadyrov was pronounced Chechnya's new acting president. The previous one, Alu Alkhanov, was kicked out of power. On 2nd March 2007, Kadyrov was pronounced the proper president with full parliamentarian approval. 

Quickly following his rise to power, Kadyrov promoted many of his own family members to various high ranking positions in the government. Critics accused him of building his ''vertical'' rise of power and using nepotism to fill those key positions. 

In 2011 and 2016, he was re-elected again as the Head of the Chechen Republic. 

In his private life, Mr Ramzan Kadyrov has allegedly three wives. He has been officially married to first wife Medni Musaevna Kadyrova since 1996. His other two wives, Fatima Khazuyeva and Aminat Akhmadova, have been linked to him but not officially confirmed. He has twelve children, 6 girls and 6 boys, with his first wife. Kadyrov is a known supporter of polygamy for men of Islamic faith, even though it's against Russian law. 

TIES WITH PUTIN

Putin and Kadyrov have a very close relationship. This has created a lot of conflict between the Chechen leader and other close allies to the Russian President. Kadyrov is known to toe the line between what is acceptable by Russian law, and what is barbaric. However, no consequences have been imposed on him as a result of law-breaking. Many suspect this is because Putin closes his eyes to many things that Kadyrov and his Chechen soldiers are doing in return for the Chechens undying loyalty. 

Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov (source: unknown)

Kadyrov is linked to many acts of murder, human rights abuses and law breaking. As mentioned above, one of them is polygamy. Another horrific example is the treatment of gay men in Chechnya, they are systematically rounded up and killed for their sexual orientation. Kadyrov is famous for saying, "We don't have any gay men in Chechnya.'' Other things he has been linked to is torture camps, assassination of opposition members, and even kidnappings of innocent people who are later found dead and with signs of torture on their bodies.  

On March 28th 2022, Ramzan Kadyrov was promoted to Lieutenant-General in the Russian National Guard, as a reward for his work in Ukraine. Although, his role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine is still a mystery to a lot of people. 

UKRAINE 2014 AND 2022

Kadyrov's paramilitary group, known as the Kadyrovtsy,  have been described as many things, and accused of doing many heinous crimes. They have a fierce reputation as brutal and cruel fighters.  

Chechen Forces in Syria (source: unknown)

They have been accused of rape, murder, torture, kidnappings, and acting as Kadyrov's personal death squad.

They were present in Syria, around 2015, to ensure order and civil obedience on the streets of Aleppo. 

They have been active in Ukraine since 2014, with participation in the Vostok Battalion (which are linked to running the notorious Izolyatsia Prison) and the Chechen Death Battalion.  In 2022, these Chechen fighters have been tasked with assassinating key figures in Ukraine. This included the Ukrainian President, Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky. They have been unsuccessful in this task. 

LYING ABOUT FIGHTING IN UKRAINE?

Ramzan Kadyrov claimed as early as 26 February that Chechen forces have been deployed in Ukraine. On 27 February, Ukrainian military forces claimed they hit and destroyed a column of 56 Chechen tanks and killed general Magomed Tushayev, head of the 141 motorized regiment of the Chechnya National Guard. This was reported by Volodymyr Zelensky's office. 

Through this whole battle, there has been some confusion on whether the Chechens are really fighting in Ukraine. Their presence can be verified through pictures posted on social media, but the scope of their participation in the war is questionable. 

We can see in the video below Chechen Rosgvardia troops shooting at a builiding in Mauripol. But what they are shooting at is a mystery. From the looks of it, that building has been recently bombed, there is some black smoke coming from the building. This was shot on March 18, 2022. 

There are speculations that that Ramzan Kadyrov has come to Ukraine to improve his status quo with Vladimir Putin. The ruthless reputation that his men has can be used to cause fear in the Ukrainians as a psychological operation tactic. On top of that, the Russians need bodies on the ground to boost the Russian troops, which are decimated daily by the Ukrainian forces. 

IS KADYROV IN UKRAINE?

On 29th March, this photo of Kadyrov made the rounds on social media. We can see him praying at a gas station, while he was claiming that he was on a trip to Mariupol. Geolocators placed the location of this gas station 239kms away easy of Mariupol, in Krasnodar Krain, Russia. 

Various news outlets claimed that he said this was taken in Mariupol, but that was never a claim he made. Whether he was actually in Mariupol or not is not easily verified, but this gas station is on the way between Grozny and Mariupol. 

Ramzan Kadyrov praying at a Rosneft petrol station, located at Krasnodar Krai in Russia. (source: Telegram)

At the beginning of March, the Ukrainian government tried to confirm whether Ramzan Kadyrov was present close to Kyiv on 13 March 2022. A video was shared on Telegram showing him meeting with Chechen Security forces. However, reports surfaced that he was seen in Grozny on the same day. 

CHECHENS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MASSACRE IN BUCHA?

The city of Bucha, which is located  24 kilometres away from Kyiv, was liberated by Ukrainian army on 31 March 2022. A shocking sight met the liberating soldiers when they entered the city. 

Bodies of dead civilians in various locations of the city were discovered. These innocent people were brutally murdered by the Russian soldiers. Some of the civilians had their hands tied behind their backs.

Bodies of civilians found on the streets of Bucha (source: unknown)

Unverified reports claim that the Chechen Rosgvardia were also present in Bucha at the time of the Russian occupation. Bellingcat, along with their partners, are looking for more evidence. However, I would say that this fits with the Chechen's modus operandi. 

CONCLUSION  

For Vladimir Putin, the Chechens are an asset on the battlefield. However, most siloviks can't stand Ramzan Kadyrov. This is because when he gets paid princely sums from Russian coffers, someone else gets less money. His Kadyrovtsy soldiers are barely tolerated on the battlefield by the Russian soldiers. Russia has a long history of discrimination amongst the various ethnicities present in the country. Therefore, Chechens are seen as lower than a normal Russian soldier. Their reputation also does not gain them any favours. 

In Ukraine, these Chechens are there to cause fear in the Ukrainians and to do what they do best, murder and pillage. Obviously, Putin thought they are the best choice for massacring innocent people.

Reference: 

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