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First they want to help Ukraine drive the forces of Vladimir Putin (70) out of the country – then they want to defeat the incumbent leader of their homeland. They are Chechen resistance fighters currently deployed on the most critical fronts.
“The Chechens know all too well the methods of Russian warfare,” said Akhmed Zakayev (63) in an interview with the newspaper “Bild”. The prime minister of the government-in-exile still remembers the two Chechen wars. During the interventions of the Russian army, atrocities such as torture, rape and murder were commonplace.
From Syria to Ukraine
30 years ago, the Chechens had to suffer what Russian imperialism is doing now in Ukraine, Zakayev explains. Though outnumbered, Russian forces took a long time to defeat the Chechen independence movement.
The Republic of Ichkeria – as the Chechen separatists called themselves – collapsed. Still, some resistance fighters did not want to give up. Young men joined radical groups to wage guerrilla warfare against the Russian occupiers.
One of them is Rustam Azhiev (42). In Syria, he led an Islamist unit of Chechen fighters. Now he fights as a military commander on the side of the Ukrainians. “There are clear structures here, clear orders, a completely different organization of the struggle,” Azhiev told “Bild”.
His first mission led him straight to Bachmut. In the domestic war against the Russians, he fought at the front. According to the Chechen fighter, his unit has been selected for extremely dangerous missions. This includes reconnaissance and sabotage behind enemy lines.
One thing is clear for the resistance fighters: their deployment in Ukraine increases the hopes of many Chechens for the liberation of their homeland. Zakayev believes Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov (46) will be ousted if Putin loses the war in Ukraine. “Then there will be free elections and rights for every Chechen in Chechnya, without terror, corruption and oppression.” (Darling)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
