Is Kadyrov mocking Putin? Here's the name of the new battalion
The Chechen dictator announced that he would create the Sheikh Mansur Battalion. The new army will be subordinate to the Russian Ministry of National Defense. Ramzan Kadyrov wants to strengthen the Russian forces fighting with Ukraine and... trolls the authorities in the Kremlin.
6:52 PM EDT, October 25, 2023
Kadyrov's behavior is decidedly ambiguous. Sheikh Mansur was a Chechen religious leader who fought against Russia. Certainly, he is negatively associated with the citizens of Russia and the name of the unit will not be easy for the Kremlin to swallow.
The Chechen dictator might also be testing the waters. It's very possible that he wants to see how far he can go and how much patience Vladimir Putin has for him.
The creation of the Sheikh Mansur battalion in Russia could potentially be seen as both trolling and another attempt by Kadyrov to test the limits of what is allowed - assesses Anton Herashchenko, a Ukrainian blogger and advisor to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kiev.
Let's add that a military unit of the same name has already fought on Ukrainian lands, but they fought on the side of Ukraine. The Sheikh Mansur Battalions fought, among other things, for a free Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
The army was mainly made up of Chechens, who fled from their country during the Second Chechen War. It was Vladimir Putin who was actually responsible for the outbreak of this conflict.
Kadyrov is taking a big risk with his behavior, but also emphasizing his autonomous character. He has often stressed the independent status of Chechnya and shown how much influence he has in Russia.
Let's add that Ramzan Kadyrov recently also commented on the Israel-Palestine war. He emphatically stressed that he sides with Hamas and offered his help if it is necessary.
