Kadyrov threatens to send Chechnya residents to war as punishment for law enforcement brawl

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov threatened Monday to send residents who “were involved” in a recent altercation between a Special Rapid Response Unit [SOBR] officer and a traffic police officer in the town of Urus-Martan to fight in Ukraine.

On December 11, the Chechen opposition Telegram channel NIYSO shared a video in which Kadyrov, according to the translation provided, suggests that “everybody who was there yesterday” come to Urus-Martan and attack the Chechen specific forces there, “or else we’ll send you to Ukraine.”

Later that night, the same channel reported that Chechen special forces had arrested twenty men as part of a raid in Urus-Martan.

In the original incident, which took place on the night of December 10, a SOBR officer reportedly slapped a traffic office, who proceeded to fire at the ground. According to local media, bystanders also got involved.