Ramzan Kadyrov: The Chechen leader who offered to take on Wagner for Putin

When the Wagner group launched a brief mutiny last weekend against Russia’s military leadership, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov was ready to beat back the mercenaries of the private company led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. Kadyrov, who has earlier sided with Prigozhin’s criticism of Russia’s top military brass, is a long-time ally of President Vladimir Putin and a supporter of Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. Who is Ramzan Kadyrov and how has he been involved in the Ukraine war? What did he say about the Wagner mutiny? Let’s take a closer look. Who is Ramzan Kadyrov? Kadyrov is the leader of the Muslim-majority Chechen Republic in Russia. He came to power in 2007 following the assassination of his father, Akhmad Kadyrov. The elder Kadyrov, an Islamic cleric, was a prominent figure who fought for Chechen independence from Russia during the First Chechen War. According to The Washington Post, Akhmad switched sides early in the Second Chechen War and forged a deal with Putin. In 2000, Putin installed Akhmad as the leader of the Chechen Republic. Since his father’s death in 2004, Ramzan has continued to back Putin, who, in turn, has “lavished” federal funds on Chechnya and “helped Kadyrov maintain his longstanding rule”, noted Financial Times (FT). [caption id=“attachment_12811052” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Since his father’s death in 2005, Ramzan Kadyrov has continued to back Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Reuters File Photo[/caption] As per Euronews, the younger Kadyrov has an “extremely loyal” army – Kadyrovites – who have fought alongside the Russian troops in the Ukraine war. However, unlike the Wagner group which made significant military gains in Ukraine, the Chechen paramilitary group’s successes on the battlefield are less frequent. “The Chechen forces present an image they are very strong, parading very menacingly with their kit and equipment,” Alex Kokcharov, a risk analyst focusing on Russia, told FT. “On the battlefield in Ukraine, we haven’t seen the Chechen forces making a significant impact, particularly along the front lines.” In February, Kadyrov had said he plans to establish his own private military company similar to Wagner one day, as per a Reuters report. Earlier this March, Kadyrov told Vladimir Putin that his troops will fight in Ukraine until victory was achieved, the report added. “The Chechen governor (Kadyrov) is publicity-obsessed and typically chases any opportunity he can spin in his favour. Portraying his forces as the “protectors of the motherland” has been a cornerstone of his rhetoric throughout the war,” according to The New Statesman article. Leader of ‘TikTok fighters’ As per FT, Chechen special forces have been sarcastically dubbed “TikTok fighters” as they are seen as being more concerned about their social media appearances than winning on the battlefield. Kadyrov is also known for his antics on social media. He once urged Instagram to help find his missing cat, reported The Washington Post. [caption id=“attachment_12811092” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Ramzan Kadyrov is the leader of the Muslim-majority Chechen Republic in Russia. Reuters File Photo[/caption] However, he has been accused of human rights abuses by the US State Department. Kadyrov is also known for harsh “anti-gay purges” in Chechnya and for his brutal crackdown on dissidents, as per reports. Last January, seven Chechen law enforcement officers “assaulted and forcibly took” Zarema Musayeva, the mother of three activists who opposed Kadyrov, reported Euronews. ALSO READ: Why Belarus welcoming Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has left NATO worried Opposing Wagner Last Saturday, when the Wagner chief called his fighters to march to Moscow – before stopping the revolt and brokering a deal, Kadyrov said his forces were ready to crush the mutiny.

In a statement posted on Telegram, he described Prigozhin’s actions as “a knife in the back”.

“I have repeatedly warned that war is not the time to voice personal grievances,” Kadyrov said, as per FT. “We have a supreme commander-in-chief, elected by the people, who know the whole situation to the smallest detail better than any strategist.” Kadyrovites, whose fighting formation is known as “Akhmat”, went to Rostov, a city near the Ukrainian border, along with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) battalion North-Akhmat on Saturday (24 June) to confront Wagner, as per The New Statesman. The Wagner chief had called Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the Russian armed forces General Valery Gerasimov to meet him in Rostov. Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat battalion, who led the Chechen troops to Rostov reportedly claimed they were instructed by the Russian ministry of defence “not to engage in any combat because there was a hope to resolve everything peacefully”. But, Samuel Bendett, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told FT: “It appears [Kadyrov’s forces] were biding their time to see what happens next” as “no one wanted to step in front of Prigozhin ’s forces”. Why does Kadyrov need Putin? As Kadyrovs have made many enemies in Chechnya due to their repression against any opposition, the chances of a bloody civil war loom large in the region, as per an expert. “That’s where Kadyrov’s loyalty to Putin comes from. He feels safer under the protection of the Kremlin, while he can demand more or less anything he wants from Moscow, as long as it’s within Chechnya. Kadyrov would move away from Putin’s tailcoats only if Russia’s centre of power became too weak and disorganised to offer him protection against those parts of the Chechen society who want him not only removed from power but dead and gone for good,” Aleksandar Đokić, a Serbian political scientist, wrote for Euronews. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.