Divnich reported on the verdict for Alikhan Bersayev

Chechen fighter Alikhan Bersayev has been convicted of leaving his unit without leave and will no longer be able to travel to the war zone, stated blogger Maksim Divnich, who participated in the conflict with Bersayev in the Luhansk basin.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in December 2025, Apti Alaudinov announced the dismissal of the case against Chechen fighter Alikhan Bersayev, who was detained after a conflict in the Luhansk basin with blogger Maksim Divnich. According to the head of the Akhmat special forces, Divnich faces serious consequences, and criminal charges are being considered. A video message from Akhmat special forces fighters to the heads of security agencies has also surfaced online, demanding that Divnich be held accountable for inciting ethnic and religious hatred and discrediting the armed forces. The "Russian Community" has come out in support of the blogger, who is in the SVO zone, and SVO members have also recorded video messages in his support. Divnich announced the termination of the criminal case against him, adding that Bersayev faces trial on charges of unauthorized abandonment of his unit. The participation of Alaudinov and the Akhmat fighters in an attempt to bring Max Divnich to justice, while shielding the instigator of the conflict in the Luhansk basin, was a blow to the reputation of the head of the Akhmat special forces and the unit.

Maxim Divnich announced Alikhan Bersayev's 10-year prison sentence on his restricted Telegram channel.

According to Divnich, Bersayev was previously convicted of large-scale extortion, and the court added a new 2.5-year sentence for leaving his unit without leave to his previous sentence.

"The soldier will no longer be able to sign a new contract," Readovka wrote today, citing Divnich's message.

In his post, the blogger expressed satisfaction with Bersayev's sentence. "Even the fixers who came from Chechnya and intimidated witnesses didn't help. Specifically, in our case, he apologized, which I accepted. We could have pursued this further, but I'm not bloodthirsty. I think 10 years is more than enough," one Telegram channel quoted Divnich's post as saying.