Battalion commander Munayev fighting for Ukraine: Russia acts upon Chechen pattern in Donbas
Belsat TV has met with Isa Munayev, 49, a former commandant of the city of Grozny and the current chief of the Chechen battallion named after Dzhokhar Dudayev that is fighting against (pro-)Russian separatists in Ukraine.
Mr Munayev went through the First and the Second Chechen wars. He became one of the youngest brigadier generals; he started to fight against Russia when he was 26.
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Munayev: I am a career officer of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, I graduated from the HigherSchool of the USSR’s Interior ministry. We have never been terrorists, they came to us and we just defended out Motherland. Listen, we’ve been at war for 23 years. I want to explain. I have a question. You have a family, don’t you? If anyone breaks into your house and wants to kill your family what will you do? You will make a stand for your family. So did we. Moreover, we were officers. I was police chief of the city of Grozny and held a grade of police lieutenant colonel. Everyone rose to the defense of the nation. Look, Muslim is here, he used to work as a counterintelligence agent, he is a colonel at the National Security service of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. We are officers, and we know who has come to Ukraine.When we faced trouble nobody helped us, they were just talking a lot. It is an internal affair of Russia. “We are being killed, we are defending our country, we are not terrorists,” we told them. But the only answer we got was that the situation was an internal affair of Russia.
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Belsat: Are you fighting against Russia or for Ukraine here?
I am fighting for Ukraine. I know what will happen to Ukraine if we fail to stop Russians. We’ve been fighting against Russia for 23 years, you can’t even imagine who have come to you. We are defending Ukraine here, we are defending the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. We are not Islamic fundamentalists, not terrorists, we are Chechens.
From whom do you take orders?
We are subject to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. We receive weapons, munition, we are housed in the territory of its military unit, you see how it is secured.
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If a war between Russia and Belarus started would you come to Belarus?
Sure, I will go to any country except for China to fight against Russia, [and will fight] until it is completely defeated. I will be bound to help.
Do the current events in Donbas differ from what was happening in Chechnya?
The situation in Ukraine is developing in accordance with a Chechen pattern. I have been staying here for 2 months and see that we had the same scenario.
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But certain differences between the 1st, 2nd Chechen wars and Ukraine exist, don’t they?
You know, there was not any first or the second war in Chechnya. When it started there were over 1.1 mln Chechens, our troops were fresher and we won. Russians signed a peace that was inglorious for them. But later … we lost more than 300,000 people – women, children, aged people. 42,000 children. Let’s take my family as an example. Russians killed my daughter, she was 1 year and 7 months, Russians killed my sister who was born in 1964, Russians beat my 70-year-old father dead. He was paralysed and stayed in bed; they came and said he was pretending. They clubbed him, and he died within five days.
Russians killed my wife’s father after he said he didn’t know where my family was. One of her brothers was blown up, the other disappeared. And I can’t say it’s too much because avery Chechen family suffers similar losses. That’s what Russians have done to us, and that’s what they are going to do with Ukraine and Ukrainians. That’s why the Chechen peacemaking battalion named after Dzhokhar Dudayev came to the holy land of Ukraine to defend our Ukrainian brothers.
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When did you leave Chechnya?
In 2007, but I was taken away. I was severely injured.
Whom are you fighting against here? Ukrainian separatists, Russian army or a group consisting of both local separatists and Russians?
Where are these local militiamen? What is the ‘Donetsk People’s Republic? These lands have been mopped up since 1937so that they could state these lands are theirs when Z-hour comes. We shouldn’t make any DPR up, there’s no need even to tell about it. What are they fighting for? To annex more territory? Does Russia really lack it? It just can’t get enough.
Will you go back to Denmark after Russia withdraws troops?
I will return to Chechnya, I will go to Chechnya together with my Ukrainian brothers. Denmark is not my Motherland, I don’t need either Denmark or the USA. I don’t seek good living, I seek freedom for my nation. Keep a bird in a gold cage for a year or two, release it and then order to return to the cage. A bird will never do it. My freedom is my Motherland. I respect Denmark and I am grateful for help – when I was wounded they set me up. But we want to go back.
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Have you ever communicated with Chechens who are fighting with the enemy?
They are not Chechens, they are Kadyrovites! [Ramzan Kadyrov’s followers]. But most of them will turn coat at any right moment during military clashes.
Why?
We are fighting for freedom, for our dignity and our families. What are they fighting for? For Putin’s, Kabaeva’s, Kadyrovs’ better living, for money. What is their idea?
I don’t know.
Well, there you are.
Are there many Kadyrovites?
A lot, they say, but I think their number reaches 500 or so. Their number might increase if military clashes start again. They are forced to take part. We have inside men among Kadyrovites, they are ready to take our side, but w don’t let them so far. We need them to be there – we receive more information, learn more about the sentiments in the group.
And what sentiments do they have?
(Pause) 85% will support us when the Ichkerian army sets foot on the Ichkerian land.
Arkadz Nestsiarenka
