Chechen authorities deny sending militaries to Ukrainian border

(Updated by the 'Caucasian Knot' on August 6, 2014, 6:15pm Moscow time)

The administration of the head and the government of Chechnya has refuted the information of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) of Ukraine about sending Chechen power agents to participate in the conflict in the East of Ukraine. At the same time, residents of Chechnya report transportation of troops outside the republic's territory.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ukrainian officials claimed that the armed formations of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics were supported by the Russian Army. On July 27, Andrei Lysenko, the Speaker of the NSDC, said that two battalions of fighters from Chechnya had arrived in Rostov-on-Don. On August 1, Lysenko said that an echelon of "Kadyrov's fighters" had left Chechnya for Ukraine.

Information disseminated by the Ukrainian authorities about Chechen military units arriving in Rostov-on-Don doesn’t reflect the reality, Akhmed Dakaev, the director of the department of the administration of the head and government of Chechnya for interaction with law enforcement bodies and power structures, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"All our battalions are in place; they are engaged in protecting the public order and ensuring the republic's safety," he said on July 30.

According to his story, the false information on the transfer of fighters from Chechnya to the pre-border areas is disseminated by Kiev systematically. "It’s all lies. No one has given any orders to transfer military units across the border of the Chechen Republic".

Residents of Chechnya report transportation of special task forces to the Ukrainian border

In his turn, a source from the Chechen power structures has reported that a special-purpose unit of the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) was brought to the Ukrainian border. The unit was transferred to the new location at the end of last week, the source of the "Caucasian Knot" claims. "The battalion was brought to the Ukrainian border at the end of last week. Special task unit was forwarded there by the Command decision," said the source in the law enforcement agencies, without specifying what task had been given to the above mentioned special-purpose unit.

This information was confirmed to the "Caucasian Knot" by relatives of the fighters of this special-purpose battalion. "My brother has been serving in this battalion, last week they were unexpectedly withdrawn from the mountainous part of the Republic where their mission was to find and eliminate militants, and were transferred to the new location, outside the territory of Chechnya. It’s hard to say where they were taken, but it’s somewhere in the Rostov Region," a local Ismail Kh. said.

A nephew of Grozny resident Lisa K. also told her about changes in the deployment of the battalion. "There is no officially announced war between Russian and Ukraine, we’re being assured that only rebels are fighting in Donbass, then why do they need to send our guys there? My nephew has been serving on a contract basis in the battalion, previously called  "Vostok", and the other day they were sent to patrol border with Ukraine, but I suppose it should be border guards duty," the woman says.

The military authorities don’t comment on the information about redeployment of Chechen special-purpose forces to the border with Ukraine.

"Vostok" (East) and "Zapad" (West) special-purpose battalions of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Russian General Staff  were formed in Chechnya in 2003 using local recruits. Djabrail and Sulim Yamadaevs were in command of  "Vostok" battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Said-Magomed Kakiev was initially in command of "Zapad" unit and later succeeded by Major Bislan Elimkhanov. Two battalions were each about 700 soldiers strong. Special units were engaged in fighting with militants in mountain part of Chechnya and took part in the Five-Day War of August 2008. 

It is important to note that "Vostok" and "Zapad" special battalions deployed in Chechnya haven’t existed in the structure of Russian Defense Ministry for several years already, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told in the military command headquarters of the Chechen Republic. "These are the old names of the units, used more out of habit," the command headquarters explained, refusing to comment on the information about redeployment of the special unit to the border with Ukraine.

Both battalion were disbanded in 2008 after the conflict between "Vostok" soldiers and the security guards of the Chechen leader. Russian military command announced then that "Vostok" and "Zapad" battalions would be transformed into two infantry units in the structure of the 42nd Motor Rifle Division, deployed in Chechnya.