Amid ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a group of Chechen special forces known as 'hunters' is freed in Ukraine to confine or slay particular Ukrainian officials including president Volodymyr Zelensky. According to reports, these trained assassins are also given officials' images and key details about them.
Recently, Chechen Head of the State Ramzan Kadyrov had declared in a video that invading Ukraine was the "correct decision" and they would "follow out" Putin's orders "under all conditions." Kadyrov was popularly known for his Russian "foot soldier" remark. He also has a long history of unwavering support for the Kremlin.
It is also officially confirmed that Chechen troops are sent to back Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has now reached the capital city of Kyiv. Zelensky has recently revealed that he is the 'number one target' of Putin's faithful assassins in Kyiv.
The hunters are believed to be hiding in Ukrainian forest with a killing order if officials on the desired list could not be apprehended.
Why is Ramzan Kadyrov loyal to Vladimir Putin?
Ramzán Kadyrov is the son of Akhmad Kadyrov, the first President of the Chechen Republic, who took office during the Second Chechen War in 2003. Following the assassination of Akhmad Kadyrov in a bombing attack in 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed his son Ramzán as his successor, and he has been in charge of the country ever since.
With an unflinching loyalty towards Putin, Kadyrov is also spearheading the Ukraine invasion with his elite team of mercenaries and cold-blooded assassins.
Who are Chechens?
The Chechens are one of the numerous ethnic groups that have a history of thousands of years. They belonged to the North Caucasus' highlands. While their presence dates back years, their thirst for independence and autonomy has defined much of their contemporary history.
In 1917, the numerous ethnic groups having a majority of Muslims in the North Caucasus declared independence from Russia and were acknowledged as the United Mountain Dwellers of the North Caucasus.
After that, the Soviet Union invaded them resulting in the formation of the Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Surprisingly, people fought back against Soviet domination. Joseph Stalin declared that all Chechens must be transported to Siberia for rehabilitation.
The history of Chechens
Historians state that half of them died in the middle of the transportation. After a long time, Chechen people were allowed to return to their motherland during the "De-Stalinization" period under the leadership of Nikita Khrushchev.
The Chechen Republic was formed in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. People struggled for independence which resulted in a severe schism between the republic and the Kremlin, culminating in an invasion in 1994. The First Chechen War ensued, culminating in the Chechen Republic defeating Russian forces and getting independence in 1995.
Russia invaded again a few years later, seizing control of the territory and absorbing its borders in 2000. Chechen fighters have a history of fighting against Russia at the beginning in Chechnya. But now, they have switched sides as they were granted amnesty by Ramzan's father, Akhmet Kadyrov.
