Kadyrov and Chechnya: How Putin Bought a War Criminal

The Chechen Wars: Context

The First Chechen War (1994–1996)

In 1994, Russia invaded the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, which had declared independence in 1991 (at the same time as Ukraine, incidentally).

• Russia expected a quick victory — but suffered a catastrophic defeat
• The storming of Grozny (New Year 1994–1995) — one of the greatest military disasters: entire brigades destroyed, thousands of soldiers killed
• Chechen fighters waged a guerrilla war and inflicted heavy losses on Russia
• The Khasavyurt Accord (1996) — Russia’s de facto capitulation, recognizing Chechnya’s autonomy

The Kadyrovs During the First War

During the First Chechen War, the Kadyrov family — father Akhmad Kadyrov (the grand mufti of Chechnya) and his son Ramzan (a teenager) — fought against Russia:

• Akhmad Kadyrov declared jihad against Russia
• Ramzan Kadyrov (he was 18 in 1994) reportedly participated in combat on the separatist side
• The Kadyrov family was part of the Chechen resistance against Russian aggression

The Second Chechen War (1999–2009)

After the apartment bombings (1999), Putin launched the Second Chechen War. This war was marked by exceptional brutality:

• Grozny — a city of 400,000 — was destroyed almost entirely (the UN called it “the most destroyed city on Earth”)
• “Zachistki” (sweeps) — mass arrests, torture, disappearances of civilians
• Filtration camps — sites of mass torture (documented by Human Rights Watch, Memorial)
• An estimated 25,000–50,000 Chechen civilians were killed
• Over 200,000 refugees

How Kadyrov Switched to Putin’s Side

The Father’s Defection

In 1999–2000, Akhmad Kadyrov switched to Moscow’s side — in exchange for:

• Power over Chechnya
• Money — massive federal subsidies
• Impunity — no investigations into previous activities

Akhmad Kadyrov was appointed head of the administration and then “elected” president of Chechnya. He was killed at a stadium in Grozny on May 9, 2004 (a mine explosion).

Ramzan: From Militant to Dictator

After his father’s death, Ramzan Kadyrov (born 1976) gradually concentrated all power:

• 2007 — appointed president of Chechnya (Putin specifically changed the law so Kadyrov could take office before turning 30)
• Created a personal army (“Kadyrovites”) — 20,000 to 30,000 fighters
• Established a totalitarian regime in Chechnya
• Receives $5–6 billion annually in federal subsidies (Chechnya is Russia’s most subsidized region)

Crimes of the Kadyrov Regime

Documented by international organizations:

• Extrajudicial killings — disappearances and killings of suspects without trial
• Mass torture — including electric shock, beatings
• Persecution of LGBTQ people — in 2017, secret prisons for gay men were discovered in Chechnya (Novaya Gazeta investigation). Dozens of people were tortured, many killed
• Enforced disappearances — relatives of regime critics vanish without a trace
• Killings abroad — suspected of organizing assassinations of Chechen dissidents in Europe
• Collective punishment — homes of relatives of suspected fighters are burned down

Anna Politkovskaya called Kadyrov “a tyrant whom Putin placed on the throne of Grozny."

"Kadyrovites” in Ukraine

Their Real Role

After February 24, 2022, “Kadyrovites” were deployed to Ukraine. Russian propaganda portrayed them as “elite fighters.” The reality:

“TikTok troops” — the Kadyrovites became an internet meme for their habit of:

• Filming combat videos for TikTok from safe positions (far from the front lines)
• Shooting at empty buildings and windows, pretending to be in “heavy combat”
• Posing with captured weapons and equipment
• Filming the “capture” of already cleared positions

Actual “achievements”:

• Looting — systematic pillaging of civilian property
• Shelling civilian targets
• Blocking detachments — standing behind other Russian units, shooting those who retreated
• Participation in filtration operations — torture and interrogation of civilians (drawing on the Chechen experience)

Losses

Despite the propaganda image of being “invincible,” the Kadyrovites suffered significant losses:

• Major General Magomed Tushaev — reportedly killed in the first week of the invasion near Hostomel
• Dozens of known commanders were killed
• Exact losses are classified, but estimates range in the thousands killed and wounded

What Chechnya Shows About the “Russian World”

Chechnya’s fate is a warning to Ukraine about what “peace” with Russia means:

1. City destruction — Grozny was destroyed like Mariupol
2. Tens of thousands of civilians killed
3. Installation of a puppet tyrant instead of an independent government
4. Complete destruction of freedom — no press, no opposition, no human rights
5. Mandatory “loyalty” — Chechens are forced to fight for Putin, sent to die in Ukraine

Russia did not “save” Chechnya. Russia destroyed Chechnya and installed at its head a former militant who is now Putin’s personal executioner.

This is exactly what awaits any country that agrees to “peace” on the Kremlin’s terms.