Leader of Russia's Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov (Photo: AFP).
Mr. Kadyrov announced on November 6 that a large group of former members of Russia's Wagner private military group had begun training with Chechnya's Akhmat special forces.
Wagner played a prominent role in some of the fiercest fighting between Russia and Ukraine, but its future was thrown into doubt when its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash in August, two months after he led a swift uprising.
According to Mr. Kadyrov, members from both Akhmat and Wagner are undergoing intensive training.
"I am glad that today the ranks of the famous unit (Akhmat) have included people with excellent combat experience who have proven themselves to be brave and efficient members. I am confident that in the upcoming battles they will live up to their reputation," he said.
He posted a video of the training, which included some men wearing Wagner insignia on their uniforms and covering their faces. Mr Kadyrov said the training included shooting, field medical training and training for snipers, machine gunners, commandos and artillerymen.
It is unclear how many former Wagner members participated in the training or whether any of them will stay on to join the Chechen forces after the training ends.
Earlier, on October 29, Chechen leader Kadyrov said he had recruited 170 Wagner soldiers for a new battalion. "I welcome the decision of the Wagner soldiers. Their military experience will help them to perform their assigned tasks well," said Mr. Kadyrov.
If Wagner does indeed join the Russian Guard, its soldiers will have to sign contracts directly with the country's Defense Ministry , as required by Moscow.
Mr. Kadyrov is one of the strongest supporters of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. In September 2022, Mr. Kadyrov announced that the Chechen Republic had established the OMON Akhmat-1 special task force dedicated to serving Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, with thousands of soldiers participating.
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