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Pro-Russian Chechens, famed for their social media appearances, have been “pressed back into frontline service” in Ukraine, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
The MoD estimated in May that there were around 9,000 troops fighting in pro-Russian Chechen units in Ukraine.
While some have been fighting in the country since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and the war in the Donbas began, Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, dispatched extra fighters as Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Chechen units faced heavy losses in the early stages of the conflict, with many sent to carry out rear and security operations, where they quickly picked up a reputation for their “social media antics,” the MoD said.
The troops’ interest in social media appears to have been influenced by Kadyrov, who has been a prolific poster on several platforms, including Telegram and Instagram.
But Chechen forces have found themselves back in the line of fire since the mercenary Wagner Group ceased carrying out any significant operations on the front lines last year.
The Wagner Group has been effectively disbanded over the last year since the death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in August.
Harold Chambers, an expert on Russia’s North Caucasus regions, told Business Insider that with the dismantling of the Wagner group, Kadyrov’s men (sometimes called Kadyrovtsy) were able to “step in” and fill that gap.
“They have also taken a couple ex-Wagner commanders,” he said — including some who previously criticized the Kadyrovtsy for their cowardice.
Some Russian soldiers receive just up to 10 days of training
Besides providing personnel, Chechnya is also helping train Russian soldiers.
The MoD said in May that the Russian Special Forces (Spetznaz) University in Gudermes, Chechnya, had trained around 42,000 Russian troops since 2022 — citing figures from Chechnya’s leadership.
The MoD said that trainees receive only up to 10 days of training at the university, “bringing the effectiveness of the training and institution into doubt.”
This shows the “desperation and resource strain within the Russian military,” the MoD added.
Chambers told BI that despite its status as a “cannon-fodder-production factory,” the university remains “extremely important” for Kadyrov.
“Symbolically, it provides the basis for Kadyrov’s contribution to the war effort,” attracting “federal officials and foreign delegations,” he said.
“Financially, it secures sizable new funds,” he added.
