‘Kadyrovites’. Russia sends Chechen contract soldiers to Syria


Two special task battalions Vostok and Zapad (East and West) will be stand guard of the air base Hmeymim in Syria (Latakia province).

In November, Vostok and Zapad were reorganized into military police battalions, state-controlled Russian media report. In late December, they are expected to start guarding Russian military facilities in Syria.

According to tvrain.ru, Chechnya’s mufti Salakh Mezhiyev came to support the troops who were being sent to war.

“[Chechnya’s leader] Kadyrov asked [Russian President] Putin to send him there, he said he dreamt of going and protecting Muslims. By Allah, there are many Chechens who want to do so,” the TV station quotes Salakh Mezhiyev.

Chechens have long been fighting in Syria on the both sides, the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta says.

Vostok battalion was formed in 2003. It included mainly Chechens who fought against the Russian army in the ranks of the National Guard of the self-proclaimed Ichkeria, but later switched to the side of Russian federal forces. Its troops were also seen in eastern Ukraine.

As reported before, several thousand of Chechens – citizens of Russia – are stuck in the Belarusian city of Brest at the moment. They want to enter the territory of the EU and seek asylum, but Warsaw fails to give its OK. Many of them state that the authorities recruit young men and send them to defend al-Assad’s regime in Syria.

Russia’s military operation in Syria was launched on Seprember 30, 2015. The Federation Council (the upper house of Russia’s parliament) granted permission to Vladimir Putin to use the country’s troops in Syria. Sergey Ivanov, Kremlin chief of staff, stressed that Russia was going to use only its Air Force against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s request.

International community blasted Russia for engaging in airstrikes against moderate anti-Assad rebels and civilians.

belsat.eu following tvrain.ru

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