Chechen leader Kadyrov, who likes to present himself as Putin’s bloodhound, climbs to the third-highest rank in the Kremlin army. In order to get revenge for his promotion, for which he is “endlessly grateful” to the Kremlin boss, he assures him of his full loyalty in the Ukraine war.
Following his promotion to Colonel-General, the notorious head of Russia’s Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has expressed his solidarity with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Chechen people will fully support the policies of the head of state anywhere in the world, he wrote on Telegram. He had previously thanked for the third-highest military rank. He was “incredibly grateful” to the commander-in-chief for the “great appreciation”.
Kadyrov, known for his brutal leadership in Muslim Chechnya in the North Caucasus, has emerged as one of the most ardent supporters of war since Russia invaded Ukraine. After Russian defeats, he repeatedly sharply criticized his country’s military leadership and called for far-reaching consequences. He announced that he would send more of his “special forces” to fight in Ukraine: “We have good guys (…). We send our volunteers every day.”
The Kremlin had praised Kadyrov’s “heroic contribution” to the offensive in Ukraine. Chechen units are fighting alongside Russian forces in the country. Among them is Kadyrov’s notorious personal militia, known as “Kadyrovtsy.”
Kadyrov had announced that he would send three adolescent sons to fight in Ukraine. In view of the difficulties faced by the Russian army, he had also called for the use of “low-yield nuclear weapons”. In addition, Kadyrov had criticized another colonel general, Alexander Lapin, for his role in the fighting for the city of Lyman, which was recently captured by Ukrainian forces.
Kadyrov demanded that Lapin be deposed, demoted and sent to the front as a simple soldier. The problems in Lyman were reported two weeks ago. “A week later, Lapin transfers his staff to Starobilsk, more than 100 kilometers from his subordinates, and slips away to Luhansk himself. How can you command your units operationally when you are 150 kilometers away,” Kadyrov said indignantly. It remained unclear whether he would now actively intervene in what was happening at the front himself after his promotion.
The Chechen ruler has been criticized by international non-governmental organizations for years because of his administration, which is characterized by serious violations of human rights.
Prior to his current appointment as colonel-general, Kadyrov had already been promoted to general three times – each of the armed forces of the interior, the police and the national guard of Chechnya.
