Kadyrov refuses to meet with Chechen POWs, calls on them to return to the front

Chechnya head Ramzan Kadyrov said that five Chechen soldiers have returned to Grozny from Ukraine, where they were captured. He urged them to return to the front. 

“As I see it, war should be no reason for Chechens to fall into captivity. There may be various excuses, but be that as it may, a soldier should prove that he had no other choice. And he has to prove it by going back to the front. That’s why I’m not meeting with those who have returned. It’s a question of honor not just for each individual warrior, but for the troops, for the whole regiment he serves in. Let them prove that they didn’t flee battle, they weren’t afraid to face the enemy, and they didn’t seek out the opportunity to lay down their arms and spare themselves a bullet,” Kadyrov posted on Telegram.

Kadyrov held up one soldier, Kirgiz Musikhanov, as an example. He says that Musikhanov was wounded, taken prisoner, and returned home only to then “go back into the thick of the battle.”

Kadyrov noted that “captivity is not a crime,” and that the authorities of Chechnya “are glad their fighters survived.” He says that the soldiers in question reported that they were running out of ammunition one hour before they were captured. 

“But a fighter must not just shoot randomly, but rather think through every shot, mind every cartridge. I recognize that I’m to blame, too, for the fact that they weren’t properly prepared for this situation, and they didn’t fully understand that a soldier has to plan out his ammunition. But now our boys have a chance to prove to themselves to their comrades, their commanders, and to the whole country, that this was a necessary step. That an oath, duty, and honor are above all else!” said Kaydrov.

Magomed Daudov, chairman of the parliament of Chechnya, reported yesterday that Chechen soldiers Zelim Ismailov, Zhabrail Yunuyev, Apti Tasuyev, Salakh Gaytamirov, and Tamirlan Khamidov had returned from captivity. According to Daudov, the soldiers “expressed gratitude for their release and readiness to return to the zone of the SVO ['special military operation'] if they were ordered to do so.”