HUR Says Covert Operation Crippled Kadyrov’s ‘Akhmat’ Unit in Sumy Region, Claims Heavy Losses

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) said on Friday it had conducted a months-long operation in the Sumy region targeting Russia’s “Akhmat” unit, a force linked to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

The operation ran from February to April 2026 and involved Ukrainian special forces, fighters from Free Ichkeria – a Chechen pro-independence group opposed to Russian rule – a Territorial Defense brigade, and intelligence operatives working with an embedded source inside the Russian unit.

HUR said that in early 2025 it established contact with an “Akhmat” serviceman who collected sensitive information within the unit and passed it to Ukrainian intelligence. He later moved to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

According to the agency, he helped collect intelligence on the unit, including by placing a listening device in a meeting room using an FPV drone.

In the intercepted recordings, “Akhmat” commander Apti Alaudinov discusses planned operations in the Sumy direction and acknowledges serious problems within his forces.

“We both know that most of our artillery crews and tank teams don’t even know how to shoot properly,” he is heard saying. “They may know many things, but they can’t actually hit anything.”

He adds that despite years of fighting, the unit still lacks combat readiness. “For four years of war… they haven’t really fought,” he says.

Other Topics of Interest

Konotop Left Without Power and Gas As Ukraine Repels 221 Russian Drones and Missiles

Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine, firing more than 220 drones and Iskander-M missiles at multiple regions. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most of the incoming weapons, but several strikes still caused damage in nine locations. The assault hit infrastructure in Konotop, Dnipropetrovsk, and Odesa regions, injuring and killing civilians and disrupting utilities such as gas, electricity, and water supply systems.

In another recording, he criticizes Russian airborne troops, calling them “worthless people” who “don’t fight anywhere.”

He also discusses offensive tactics, suggesting Russian forces should focus assaults on a single settlement at a time rather than spreading across multiple directions.

HUR said the intelligence gathered from the agent and recordings enabled Ukrainian forces to carry out targeted strikes on “Akhmat” positions during movements and in staging areas.

The agency claimed the unit suffered heavy losses over the course of the operation, including 41 killed, 87 wounded, and more than 100 missing, along with significant equipment losses such as armored vehicles, UAVs, communications systems, and fuel and ammunition depots.

These figures could not be independently verified.

Abdul Hakim, commander of Chechen volunteers fighting alongside Ukraine as part of the HUR “Shamanbat” unit, urged Chechens not to sign contracts with the Russian military and called on those already mobilized to contact Ukrainian intelligence and surrender.

“What did Ukrainians do to you? Who among you did they kill? Come over to our side,” he said in a recorded appeal shared by HUR.