Chechnya, one of the few small republics in Russia's North Caucasus, has been the scene of two bloody conflicts between separatist rebels and the Russian government over the past two decades. But it seems that in the war in the heart of Europe in Ukraine, the Chechens have mobilized alongside Russia.
Dramatic videos come from Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, where dictator Ramzan Kadyrov has made nearly 12,000 troops that will be sent to help the Russian military in its invasion of Ukraine. According to local media reports, Kadyrov, in his speech, called on Ukrainian soldiers that they are not enemies, and that the Chechen army will target only the so-called neo-Nazis in Ukraine.
The media reports that a good portion of the assembled troops are volunteers who want to fight in Ukraine.
In addition to these volunteers, there are reports that several thousand other Chechen soldiers are already in Ukraine as part of the Russian army. It is even rumored that these troops are being used to take Kiev.
'Dailymail' writes that the Chechen special team was given an 'album' with photos and descriptions of Ukrainian officials. The list is of security officials and officers suspected of 'crimes' by the Russian Investigative Committee.