They're To Prove They Had No Choice: Kadyrov Criticizes Freed Chechens

The head of Chechnya abandons his people to their fate.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, announced that 5 "Kadyrovtsy" had returned from Ukrainian captivity to Grozny, who were left without ammunition. However, he refused to meet with them, because he believes that "there is no reason to be captured," UNIAN reports.

“I believe that a Chechen warrior should not be captured. Excuses may be different, still, the warrior must prove that he had no other choice. And you need to prove it by returning to the front line,” Kadyrov wrote on Telegram.

"It's about the honor of a fighter and his entire detachment," according to the Chechen leader. He demands that the Kadyrovites returned from captivity prove that they "did not avoid battle, were not afraid to meet the enemy and did not look for an opportunity to lay down their arms and escape from bullets".

According to him, an illustrative example was demonstrated by Kadyrovite Kirgiz Musikhanov, who returned from captivity. He allegedly was taken prisoner due to a wound, but recovered and returned "to the thick of battles".

“Of course, captivity is not a crime. I know it. And we are glad that our fighters survived. They radioed an hour before their captivity to report ammunition shortages. But every warrior must not just shoot randomly, but think over every shot, take care of every cartridge. I realize that this is also my fault, that they were not sufficiently prepared for such a situation and did not fully understand that a fighter should plan his ammunition load. But now the guys have a chance to prove to themselves, their comrades, the commander and the whole country that this was a forced step. That the oath, duty and honour are above all,” Kadyrov said.