Chechen units in Russia's war against Ukraine number about 9,000 people. This is stated in a new report by the British Ministry of Defense based on intelligence, UNN reports.
It is likely that about 9,000 personnel are currently serving in pro-Russian Chechen units in Ukraine
The report notes that pro-Russian Chechen forces have been fighting in Ukraine since 2014. "Additional Chechen forces were sent to Ukraine at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. However, after suffering initially significant losses, Chechen units were mostly relegated to rear guard operations and were ridiculed as TikTok troops for their antics on social media. After the withdrawal of the Russian private military company Wagner from the front line in May 2023, Chechen units were forced to return to the front line," the report says.
"It is likely that Chechen special forces are bearing the brunt of the fighting on the front lines, while the bulk of Chechen forces continue to conduct rear guard operations. In addition to providing personnel, Chechnya's other key contribution to Russia's war against Ukraine is training of Russian personnel. According to the Chechen leadership, since 2022, the Russian University of Special Forces in Gudermes, Chechnya, has trained about 42,000 Russian military personnel. However, it is likely that the personnel are trained at the university for only 10 days, which calls into question the effectiveness of the training and the institution itself," the report says.