For Russia to regain the upper hand, “more drastic measures should be taken,” says Chechnya leader Kadyrov. Previously, the Kremlin troops had to withdraw from Lyman. Now he takes such a measure himself: he sends his sons into combat operations.
According to his own statements, the notorious head of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, wants to send three of his underage sons to the war against Ukraine. The youngsters between 14 and 16 years old, Achmat, Selimchan and Adam, are ready to use the combat skills they have trained in the “special military operation”, Kadyrov wrote on Telegram. “And I’m not kidding. (…) Soon they will be sent to the front and will be in the most difficult sections of the contact line.” He also published a video showing his sons doing target practice.
Kadyrov, known for his brutal leadership of Muslim-leaning Chechnya in the North Caucasus, has emerged as one of the most ardent supporters of war since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He has also long had a reputation for circumventing Russian laws with no consequences.
After Russian defeats, he has repeatedly sharply criticized his country’s military leadership and called for far-reaching consequences. Recently he even spoke out in favor of considering the use of nuclear weapons with lower yields.
“In my opinion, more drastic measures should be taken, up to and including the imposition of martial law in the border areas and the use of low-yield nuclear weapons,” Kadyrov told Telegram on Saturday after it became known that Russian troops had left the strategically important withdraw Ukrainian city of Lyman. The 45-year-old ruler also denounced “nepotism” in the Russian army. This will “lead to nothing good,” he explained.
When asked about Kadyrov’s harsh criticism of the course of the war, which Moscow continues to refer to as a “special military operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said simply: “The regional heads have the authority to express their point of view and to make assessments.” He did not comment on the planned raising of Kadyrov’s children as soldiers.
