“Kadyrovites” suffer daily, heavy losses in the war, but they are hiding it – Russian media

"UKRAINIAN TRUTH" — THURSDAY, 5 MAY 2022, 16:26

Russian journalists claim that units subordinate to the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, are suffering daily losses in terms of dead and wounded soldiers, but this is well hidden by PR strategies.

Source: Journalists of the Russian edition of Important Stories, citing sources in the Chechen authorities and relatives of the victims

Details: The real losses of Russian troops in the war against Ukraine, including Kadyrov's security forces, are carefully hidden by the authorities. However, the death of 13 Chechen fighters during the fighting in Ukraine has already been officially confirmed.

This is one of the lowest casualty rates among Russian regions, and these figures are often compared with Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, where at least 123 military personnel have been confirmed dead.

At the same time, the population of Chechnya is about 1.4 million, while Dagestan’s is 3.1 million.

The source of the journalists, who is involved in the transportation of the bodies of the dead Chechens home from Ukraine, confirms that units from Chechnya are suffering heavy losses in terms of killed and wounded soldiers every day.

At the same time, "Kadyrovites" [Kadyrov's troops] in Ukraine are creating an image of the most successful formations on social media and in Russian propaganda. Adam Delimkhanov, member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, is personally working on this.

Delimkhanov personally communicates with the commanders of the formations of the so-called "DNR" and "LNR" [Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic], ensures the entry of volunteers (not only from Chechnya) to Russian units on the territory of Ukraine, provides logistics, primarily to the "Kadyrovites", and also monitors the information support of Kadyrov’s activities.

Relatives of the Chechens killed in action say that those wishing to leave to fight in Ukraine are offered immediate payments of significant amounts in cash before being transferred to the front.  

On 5 May, Kadyrov posted a video on his telegram channel in which he allegedly confirmed the cash payment of 300,000 rubles to volunteers before they are transferred to Ukraine. They are also provided with accommodation, uniforms and food.

In addition to Delimkhanov, Chechen Information Minister Akhmed Dudayev is actively involved in the advocacy work, organising the arrival of Russian propagandists, bloggers, and foreigners to the places of deployment of the "Kadyrovites", where they shoot videos about the alleged skill of the fighters in combat.

Human rights activist Abubakar Yangulbaev said that the relatives of the victims were negatively disposed towards the Kadyrov regime. Kadyrov's argument that, thanks to his rule, "there is no war in Chechnya" no longer works.

"Kavkaz Realii", which is a service of the American government media outlet "Radio Svoboda [Liberty]", reported about 60 dead security officials and military from Chechnya in early April, citing sources in the security agencies of the North Caucasus Federal District.

For more coverage on this, see also: Kadyrovites are afraid of dying in Ukraine - a participant in the Second Chechen War who is fighting for Ukraine

Background:

• On 27 February, near Gostomel, Ukrainian defenders killed Kadyrov's friend, General Magomed Tushaev, who was the commander of the 141st motorised regiment of the Russian Federation.

• On 1 March, Kadyrov officially acknowledged the death of 2 and the wounding of 6 "Kadyrovites" in the first 5 days of the full-scale war. On 10 March, he publicly acknowledged that the Ukrainian military routinely inform the relatives of the fallen soldiers from Chechnya about their deaths.
• In March, the members of the Azov Regiment, which is defending Mariupol, trolled Kadyrov, who posted a video of his fighters shooting at the empty windows of destroyed houses and traffic lights on the streets, pretending to be fighting a tough battle with the "Banderites."
• The journalists later found out that the videos of the "Kadyrovites'" fights, which they allegedly fought in different parts of Mariupol, were filmed on the same city square.