Fighters from the Russian region of Chechnya are expected to play a leading role in the attacks. The news ticker on the Ukraine war.
- New assignment to Ramzan Kadyrov? Vladimir Putin's ally is supposed to send fighters
- Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin: Wagner Group mercenaries above their zenith, according to ISW
- Drone strikes in Moscow: Dmitry Peskov calls situation "alarming"
- Here you can read about the latest developments in the Ukraine conflict. Some of the information processed, in particular on losses of the armies involved in the Ukraine war, comes from the warring parties from Russia or Ukraine. In some cases, they cannot be independently verified.
Kyiv – Russia's Belgorod is coming back into focus in the Ukraine war – as is Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Ukrainian soldiers apparently crossed the Russian border in Belgorod. The Russian authorities now want to evacuate hundreds of Russian children in the region, according to their own statements. In the last week of May, armed militias from Ukraine had entered there and launched attacks.
Photo taken on 17 May: Ramzan Kadyrov on a tank in the Chechen capital Grozny © Head of Chechen Republic/Imago
Ukraine war: ISW suspects "replacement" of Prigozhin and Kadyrov fighters
Putin ally Kadyrov had called for a tougher crackdown in the Ukraine war and the imposition of martial law after the drone attacks in Moscow. The US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) mentions Kadyrov extensively in its latest analysis of the situation in the Ukraine war. According to the assessment of military experts, Chechen fighters are supposed to launch "offensive operations" in Ukraine on the "orders" of Moscow.
According to ISW, Kadyrov claimed on Wednesday (31 May) that his troops had received "new orders" from Moscow and were being sent on "active combat operations" to "liberate" a number of settlements.
Ukraine war: the current role of Yevgenie Prigozhin
Chechen forces, according to ISW information, operate mostly in the Ukrainian hinterland. Previously, they took part in the battles for Mariupol, Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. ISW analysts also mention Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. In their view, the withdrawal of its mercenaries from Bakhmut is one reason why Moscow wants to rely more on Kadyrov's troops.
Ukraine war: Putin spokesman calls situation in Belgorod "alarming"
"If Kadyrov's claim that he has 7000,<> troops in Ukraine is true, his forces will not be able to successfully conduct several significant offensive operations," the institute said.
"The situation is quite alarming," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the shelling of Belgorod. The leadership in Kiev rejects responsibility for the violence in Belgorod and the drone strikes in Moscow. Rather, it is emphasized that these are consequences of the invasion of Ukraine by the "terrorist state of Russia". Ukraine is demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops. (frs)
