The Chechen special service units deployed to the border region of Kursk to repel the Ukrainian incursion are facing criticism from pro-war military bloggers who accuse them of insubordination, desertion, and collaboration with the Ukrainian army. Despite Ukraine claiming control of approximately 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory, Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Major General Apti Alaudinov have boasted about the Akhmat fighters’ achievements in Kursk, claiming they destroyed a Ukrainian military column and captured weapons and equipment.
However, pro-war bloggers have accused the Akhmat units of deserting their positions as soon as they spotted the enemy, enabling the incursion. Some military commentators have even made Islamophobic remarks, questioning whether Kadyrov’s forces left the battlefield to build a new mosque in Moscow. Contradictory information has been published, with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claiming to have taken Kadyrov’s forces into captivity during the offensive, while Kadyrov and Alaudinov deny that any Chechen fighters surrendered to the enemy in Kursk.
The sharp criticism of Kadyrov’s forces by Russian pro-war bloggers has been deemed as objectively correct by Chechen human rights lawyer and activist Abubakar Yangulbaev. Analyst Harold Chambers also acknowledged the lack of engagement by Akhmat spetsnaz in earlier battles and pointed out the difficulty in verifying claims of capturing armored vehicles during the current operation. However, public accusations made against Kadyrov and his cronies are unlikely to damage the Chechnya leader’s standing with the Kremlin, as he is skilled at spinning contentious situations to his advantage.
Some pro-war bloggers have gone as far as accusing Kadyrov’s forces of striking a mutual non-aggression pact with the Ukrainian military, suggesting that the Ukrainians were allowed to pass through the border. However, observers like Yangulbaev do not believe these claims and see them as attempts to discredit the Ukrainian army’s success. While accusations against Kadyrov and his associates may not have a significant impact on his relationship with the Kremlin, they could potentially create a divide between Kadyrovite and ex-Wagner fighters. Overall, the Chechen special service units’ actions in Kursk have sparked controversy and criticism, shining a light on the complexities of the situation and the various perspectives at play.
