UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 333 – JANUARY 20, 2023

The Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov continues to justify the participation of Chechen fighters in the war in Ukraine with religious motives, thereby strengthening his reputation and that of his power base.

Kadyrov has responded to the recent guidelines for grooming regulations in the Russian army, pointing out that the majority of Chechen fighters wear beards in accordance with the Sunna, and also claimed that his Chechen fighters were responsible for important successes in Mariupol, Severodonetsk, and Lysychansk. Kadyrov questions the justification of the Russian Ministry of Defense for these guidelines and said that they would demoralize the fighters who are "fighting a holy war." Kadyrov also reinforces a sermon by the Chechen theologian Magomed Chitanayev from January 20, in which he claimed that the "special military operation" in Ukraine aims to eradicate Ukrainian "Satanism." Kadyrov has repeatedly justified the participation of Chechen fighters in the war with explicitly religious reasons, positioning himself as the protector of the Muslim fighters and bridging the gap between the Chechen forces and the war led by Russian President Vladimir Putin for religious and moral reasons.

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