Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov says he has called home
all the Chechens fighting alongside separatists in eastern Ukraine, and
described those on the opposing side as “former Chechens.”
“There were volunteers (fighting with the separatists)
there, but now they’re gone. When the ceasefire happened, all our volunteer
fighters were invited home: come on, sit at home. … Now there must not be a
single (Chechen) person there. All our hooligans who were there, we brought
them home,” Kadyrov said in an interview with Russia’s RIA-Novosti news agency
on July 31.
The strongman Chechen leader has been outspoken about
his views on Ukraine, having said last December that he himself wanted to be
sent to eastern Ukraine to fight on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kadyrov, like Putin, has always denied sending troops
to eastern Ukraine, but at the onset of the conflict last spring, he proposed on
his Instagram account to send soldiers to “protect” the pro-Russian population
from Ukrainian “terrorists.”
He has made no secret of his support for the
separatists, lashing out at Chechens fighting for Ukraine by describing them as
“former Chechens” and “mercenaries” who had “sold out” their ideals for Europe.
“They are not soldiers – they’re drug addicts and
alcoholics. They left a long time ago, 15 years ago they left Chechnya … and
then they were recruited in Europe. We knew they would be recruited,” Kadyrov said,
adding that “Europe armed them and sent them” to Ukraine.
Chechen
fighters have played a big role in the war in Ukraine – on both sides. In a
strange twist of fate, many Chechens on the separatist side fought against Russia
during the brutal Chechen wars of 1994-2009, but they later switched sides and
expressed loyalty to Moscow.
Now,
they find themselves pitted against fellow Chechens who also fought during the
Chechen wars but have chosen to support the Kyiv government. Those fighters wound
up emigrating to Europe after Russia’s victory in the second Chechen war and
have now seized the opportunity to get revenge.
Many of those fighting alongside the separatists are
believed to have worked for the Chechen government in some capacity or another.
Last December, a Chechen fighter going by the nom de guerre “Stinger”
told Reuters that about 300 Chechens were fighting alongside separatist forces,
most with military experience.
“We have military experience of between 10 and 20 years. About 70
percent are from the special forces, others from other structures. Around 75
percent have been wounded, have awards, including state awards. All are here
voluntarily. Since the 2000s we have been soldiers and officers in the Russian
army or Russian security services,” Stinger was quoted as saying.
Kyiv Post staff writer
Allison Quinn can be reached at [email protected]
