Ukraine: Russia sends Chechen leaders and mercenary troops to war

Created: 03/29/2022, 09:52

By: Stefan Krieger

There is no end in sight to the violence in the Ukraine war.

The situation remains tense, many people are fleeing.

The news ticker.

• In the Ukraine war*, the troops from Ukraine* continue to put up fierce resistance in the fight against Russia*.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin* sends Chechnya's ruler Ramzan Kadyrov to Mariupol.

• The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj* reports on the successes of his troops, but still considers the situation to be "very difficult".

• You can read the developments and events surrounding the Ukraine conflict* in the current news ticker.

According to Russian media reports, Chechnya's ruler Ramzan Kadyrov traveled to the besieged port city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine to boost the morale of the fighters there in the Ukraine war.

"Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is in Mariupol to boost the fighting spirit of our fighters," Chechen Minister Akhmed Dudayev told Russia's state news agency Ria Novosti on Monday.

This published a photo of Kadyrov with around 20 Chechen fighters.

Also in the photo were MP Adam Delimkhanov and a little boy.

Russian television also showed footage allegedly showing Kadyrov meeting with Lieutenant General Andrei Mordvichev in Mariupol.

This is one of the generals killed in the fighting, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Ukraine war: Kadyrov speaks of "purges"

According to Dudayev, 45-year-old Kadyrov was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Officially, Kadyrov belongs to the National Guard and previously held the rank of major general.

According to the minister, Kadyrov will help adjust the strategy for the "liberation" of Mariupol.

Kadyrov himself wrote on Telegram that the "cleansing" of the bombed-out port city of "Nazi bandits" was in "full swing".

He promised that Mariupol "will be completely liberated in a very short time."

A soldier from Ukraine stands next to a tank from Russia.

© Anatolii Stepanov/afp

Ukraine war: According to President Zelenskyy, the situation is “tense everywhere”

On the night of Tuesday (March 29, 2022), Ukrainian President Zelenskyy emphasized that the military situation in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv regions, in the Donbass and in southern Ukraine was "everywhere tense, very difficult".

He added that Russian troops did not "allow a humanitarian corridor" on Monday.

In the southern city of Mykolaiv, the situation in the Ukraine war has calmed down somewhat after weeks of heavy shelling.

"The enemy is weakened, disoriented, most of them no longer have any logistical support and are cut off from most of the troops," the Ukrainian general staff said on Tuesday night.

Ukraine War: Wagner Group mercenaries deployed in eastern Ukraine

Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defense announced on Monday evening (March 28, 2022) that Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group would be deployed in eastern Ukraine.

According to estimates, more than 1,000 mercenaries could be sent for combat missions.

Russia's "shadow army" is associated with crisis regions such as Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic and, most recently, Mali.

Moscow denies any connection to her.

The mercenaries are accused of serious human rights abuses, including torture and targeted killings.

"Due to heavy casualties and a largely blocked invasion" in the Ukraine war, "Russia was most likely forced to redeploy its Wagner personnel to Ukraine at the expense of operations in Africa and Syria*," the UK MoD said.

Russia announced last Friday that it intends to concentrate on the "liberation of Donbass" in the future in the Ukraine war.

The government in Kyiv* therefore fears that the situation in Mariupol and in the east of the country will deteriorate.

According to Western officials, Russian forces will meet "the best equipped and trained Ukrainian forces" there.

(skr/dpa/afp) *