The Economist: Chechnya’s leader shields his people from war

Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov has repeatedly voiced unwavering support for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, but his grip on Chechnya has also allowed him to keep large-scale mobilisation and forced conscription largely away from the republic, The Economist reports, citing a source.

The source said whatever Moscow’s interests in Ukraine may be, Chechnya is infinitely far removed from them.

According to him, although Kadyrov calls himself “Putin’s foot-soldier,” he does not want to sacrifice the republic’s population for the sake of the “Russian world.”

During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in April this year, Kadyrov publicly said that the republic had prepared and sent more than 70,000 servicemen to the front. The figure amounts to 9% of Chechnya’s entire male population and could be the highest rate among all Russian regions, The Economist notes.

According to Mediazona, the deaths of only 540 Chechens have been confirmed since the start of the conflict. That represents 0.2% of total Russian losses, while Chechnya accounts for 1.1% of Russia’s population.

The relatively low number of casualties compared with the number of troops reportedly trained is explained by the recruitment of volunteers from other regions into Chechen units.

In particular, after the war in Ukraine began, the volunteer Akhmat Special Forces Unit was established in Chechnya, recruiting people from across Russia. Akhmat commander Apti Alaudinov acknowledged in May last year that only a quarter of the unit’s personnel were Chechens.

Meanwhile, Chechens fighting as part of Akhmat have been “ordered not to overdo it and to look after themselves,” the source close to the Chechen leadership told the publication.

Thus, The Economist notes, Kadyrov has effectively managed to prevent forced recruitment for the war in Chechnya. This has helped him strengthen his image as a “father of the nation” who protects his fellow Chechens.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov