19:19, 11 January 2023

Kadyrov announces number of Chechen fighters involved in SMO

Volunteers at the Grozny airport. Screenshot of the video posted on Ramzan Kadyrov's Telegram channel on December 10, 2022 https://t.me/RKadyrov_95/3185

More than 21,000 Chechen fighters have taken part in the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine; and over 9000 are currently on the frontlines there, the head of Chechnya has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 7, Ramzan Kadyrov reported sending 300 "Akhmat-1" OMON (riot police) fighters to the SMO zone.

On October 28, 2022, the Russian Defence Minister announced the end of the partial mobilization, and on the same day, the deputy commander of the "Akhmat-1" OMON battalion of the Chechen branch of the "Rosgvardiya" (Russian National Guard) called on the unemployed residents of Chechnya to join this unit and go to Ukraine. The appeals of the Chechen "Rosgvardiya" fighters were preceded by Kadyrov's report that 23 Chechen fighters had perished in the Kherson Region; and other 58 were wounded. Within the previous eight months of the war, authorities officially confirmed the deaths in Ukraine of only 29 residents of Chechnya.

"More than 9000 fighters are currently on the frontline," Kadyrov wrote, adding that all of them are provided with "all the necessary uniforms and weapons, which allows them to serve efficiently."

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that authorities and religious figures of Chechnya had repeatedly treated the SMO in Ukraine as jihad, urging Muslims to join it. Thus, in October, Kadyrov declared jihad against "satanic democracy."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 11, 2022 at 05:38 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot