Chechens take offense as Russia’s Ukraine commander orders soldiers to shave beards and moustaches

Kremlin: Inciting a dispute with his beard-sporting Chechen and mercenary allies, the commander of Russia’s forces in Ukraine has ordered soldiers to do away with their beards and moustaches as a disciplinary practice. Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, denounced the order as a “provocation” that was done on purpose and claimed it is is only to divert the attention of the soldiers away from the actual battle. On his Telegram channel, Mr. Kadyrov added, “Let’s just down our firearms and go have our beards shaved.” What sort of absurdity is this? General Valery Gerasimov, who Vladimir Putin named as the general commander of Russia’s troops earlier in January, was reportedly aiming to instill more discipline in the Russian army, according to Western intelligence. Gen. Gerasimov reportedly ordered Russian soldiers to stop travelling in “civilian vehicles,” using mobile phones, and donning “non-regulation uniforms,” according to the British Ministry of Defense. Throughout the fight, Russian soldiers’ lack of discipline about the use of their cellphones has revealed their locations, but recordings from Ukrainian battlefields have shown them donning conventional army fatigues and sporting military-style haircuts and shaved heads. The Wagner Group, the Kremlin’s once-dubious mercenary organisation that has gained popularity this year, may be the target of the Russian Ministry of Defence’s directive to “smarten up” instead. Wagner has sent about 50,000 soldiers to Donbas, the most of them are unkempt ex-offenders clad in a mishmash of army fatigues. The leader of the Wagner mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, views his soldiers as superior to the Russian military, which he has criticised for being callous, incapable tactically, and conceited. The Wagner mercenaries are seen by the Russian military as an unstable band of rogues that has to be put in their place. Gen Gerasimov’s command for his soldiers to shave was met with Mr. Prigozhin’s customary intimidating mockery. He advised Mr. Kadyrov to grow his beard out twice as long and said that his soldiers were engaged in too much combat with the Ukrainian army to take time off to shave. He said, “War is not the time of the clean-shaven, but of the active and brave.” Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.