Putin Visits Chechnya for First Time in 13 Years, Commends ‘Invincible’ Volunteers

Department of Research, Strategic Studies and International Relations 22-08-2024

President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to Chechnya, marking his first trip there in 13 years, amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, including a persistent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

Despite the on going hostilities, which began with Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian military has made progress on various fronts.

 During his unan nounced visit to the predominantly Muslim region with in the Russian Federation, Putin met with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

The Russian president thentoured a special forces academy named in his honor, where heinteracted with voluntee rfighters undergoing training before being deployed to Ukraine.

Putin, aged 71, lauded the volunteers, asserting that as long as Russia had individuals like them, the nation would remain “invincible,” according to reports from Russian state media.

In a post on his official Telegram channel, Kadyrov mentioned that over 47,000 fighters, including volunteers, have received training at the facility since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin’s visit followed closely after Elon Musk deniedal legations of gifting Kadyrov a Cybertruck, despite a video showing the Chechen leader driving the vehicle.

Chechen fighters, stemming from a history of seeking independence after the Soviet Union’s collapse, have takensides in the Ukraine conflict.

Pro-Kyiv volunteers, loyal to the late Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev, continue to oppose Chechen forces aligned with Putin and Kadyrov.

The latter group played a significant role in Russia’s protracted siege of Mariupol and other strategic locations in Ukraine’s southern and easter nregions.

Putin’s visit occurs at a crucial moment for Russian forces, who are facing the largest invasion of Russian territory since World War II, following Ukraine’s surprising advance into Kursk three weeks prior. Despite Ukraine’s territorial gains, which have placed Putin in a challenging situation, Russian forces have also managed to strike back, reportedly capturing the town of Niu-York in Donetsk earlier this week.