MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) – The strongman leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said Tuesday that Chechens have been killed in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kadyrov, a former rebel-turned-Kremlin-ally, has given his backing for President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine, sending his notorious fighters to the country.
“Unfortunately, there are already losses among the natives of the Chechen Republic. Two died, six more were injured to varying degrees,” Kadyrov said on Telegram.
Kadyrov, in charge of Russia’s Chechnya Republic which he governs de-facto by his own set of rules, has posted videos of Chechen fighters in Ukraine.
On Tuesday, he posted one of a Chechen fighter with Russian tanks rolling by.
Russia has not said how many of its forces have been killed in the invasion, but also admitted losses last week.
Kadyrov said the killed Chechen fighters “chose to become heroes.”
“Yes, they kill in war and that was their choice of profession,” he said.
He claimed that “they had an order to minimise losses among the civilian population of Ukraine.”
Russia denies targeting civilian areas, but residential areas are being shelled.
Ukraine says more than 350 civilians have been killed since Putin launched the attack last Thursday.
Moscow has invaded from several directions, including from Belarus, Moscow-annexed Crimea and from territory controlled by east Ukraine’s separatists.
© Agence France-Presse
