Social media users questioned the voluntary nature of contracts with the Ministry of Defense in Chechnya.

Regular reports from Chechen authorities about sending groups of fighters to the military operation zone raise doubts that all of them are going to participate in the fighting voluntarily, social media users noted.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," Chechen authorities regularly report sending groups of troops from the republic to the combat zone in Ukraine. Ramzan Kadyrov published the most recent such report on May 17. Chechnya has sent 70,520 fighters to fight in Ukraine, including 24,500 volunteers. 14,000 fighters are currently in the combat zone, Magomed Daudov, head of the republic's government, announced on March 25. The total number of security forces sent from Chechnya does not include those who are in barracks, on leave, or who have left the combat zone as part of rotation. Since November 2022, Kadyrov has accompanied each report of the deployment of a new group with a call for volunteers to contact the Grozny mayor's office and sign up, regularly emphasizing that the flow of volunteers is not decreasing and there are no problems recruiting them. He also regularly reports that many volunteers are from other regions of Russia.

A post about sending a new group of fighters from Grozny airport to the military operation zone sparked a discussion on the Caucasian Knot Facebook page*. By 6:55 PM Moscow time, it had garnered 328 comments. Users from various countries and regions participated in the discussion, expressing their attitudes toward the participation of Chechen units in the war and toward Russian government policies.

Users doubted that all the fighters are volunteers.

Some users debated the extent to which Chechens are participating in the fighting voluntarily.

"They're afraid of Kadyrov." "There is nothing voluntary here," wrote წყნეთელი ბიჭი.

"There are no Chechens there. "They recruit from the surrounding area and lure them with large payments," noted Dear Rafik.

"They're mostly from other regions, recruited and sent under the Akhmatov regime," believes Eldaniz Dzhafarov.

Relatives, as a rule, keep the incident under wraps, hoping to resolve the matter through intermediaries or by paying a large bribe.

Caucasian Knot reader rory.beahan reported that reports are coming in from various regions of Chechnya about security forces deliberately hunting down young men of draft age. They detain them under various pretexts, after which they are forced to sign military service contracts through threats, blackmail, and often beatings and torture. According to him, most such cases go unreported. "Relatives, as a rule, do not make the incident public, hoping to resolve the issue through intermediaries, or by paying a large bribe (we are talking about six-figure, five-figure at best), and fearing more serious consequences not only for the forcibly recruited persons, but also for other family members," he wrote.

"A cousin of my fellow villager, who is just over 18 years old, was detained some time ago along with his friend at night, after which they were forced to sign the corresponding contracts and sent to Khankala. The guys told their relatives by phone that they were being kept as a kind of "reserve" for now, but could be sent to the front at any moment," he writes.

One can understand those who are forced, but Volunteers?

Some commenters on the Facebook page* believe that cash payments are pushing people to sign contracts.

"You have to earn your money," says Olya Yasinskaya.

"We can understand those who are forced, but what about the volunteers?" - Emin Alibalayev inquired.

Commentators recalled episodes in Chechen history

For example, Magda Bagakashvili recalled the deportation, noting that "the entire people were resettled from their native land to the Central Asian steppes."

Some commentators mentioned Dzhokhar Dudayev in connection with Chechnya's active participation in the SVO.

"Perhaps they have forgotten their president, Dzhokhar Dudayev; he was an intelligent man and spoke of the future and the present," asked Dima Litvak, among others.

Some users debated the missions and actions of the Akhmat unit in the war zone, calling them "TikTok troops."

"Filming TikTok?" - wrote Alexander Zhuravlev.

"Timid cheetahs are the 'warrior' of TikTok," says Igor Kiyanin.

A number of users discussed the role of Ramzan Kadyrov and his family in the SVO.

04:54 15.09.2025

Kadyrov called all the awards his son Adam deserved

Chechnya's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, said his son Adam received all his awards for specific achievements and called him "a wonderful guy."

"Adam should be sent away too," wrote Esentai Joldasov.

"Kadyrov didn't send away Chechen hero Adam Kadyrov," noted Anatoly Egorov.

"Where is Adam Kadyrov? Is he waiting for another medal?" - Edvīns Borovkovs asked.

In response to aggressive comments and dehumanizing wishes directed at the fighters, including from users with Ukrainian surnames, there are also statements against the dehumanizing rhetoric.

"These comments are just some beasts, it's brutal!" - wrote Valeria Redunenko.

"Guys, why do you need this? Wouldn't it be better to live in peace?" commented Alexander Alexandrovich.

Minor offenses can lead to deployment to the SVO zone.

The Chechen authorities regularly report on the deployment of new groups of fighters to the SVO zone, and the support of the Akhmatov Kadyrov Foundation for both the fighters themselves and residents of the LPR and DPR. Thus, special attention was paid to the participation of Chechen nationals in the fighting at Ramzan Kadyrov's meeting with the Russian president, during which Kadyrov secured Putin's support for his nomination for another term as head of the republic.

At the same time, human rights activists and residents of the republic have repeatedly reported coercion to sign contracts. For example, The administrator of a Telegram channel publishing evidence of human rights violations in the republic. "Sometimes it's presented as a 'preventative detention.' A young man is detained for something minor: suspected drug possession, insubordination, following the 'wrong' social media pages. The police station starts 'working' on him—they promise to close the case if he signs a contract." "Threats to families, conversations with parents, and pressure through elders are used," he said.

Entrepreneur Aslanbek Akhmetkhanov criticized the practice of sending Chechen residents who have consumed alcohol and drugs to military operations. He expressed the opinion that professional soldiers should take part in combat operations. Human rights activists confirmed Akhmetkhanov's data, pointing out that minor offenses can be the reason for sending them to the combat zone.

There have also been reports of cases where relatives of detainees were forced to sign contracts. For example, in 2025, it was reported that three 16-year-old schoolchildren had been held in a security agency in Grozny since December 2024 without charge. Relatives of those illegally detained in Chechnya often try to secure their release on their own and only as a last resort turn to human rights organizations, but publicity does not always help, human rights activists noted. On July 14, 2025, it became known On the release of teenagers, subject to their relatives signing contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense. on the release of teenagers on the condition that their relatives sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

"Caucasian Knot" cannot verify reports of Chechen residents being detained for transfer to the SVO.