Inside the Chechen Units Helping to Fight Russia’s War

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Photographs by Nanna Heitmann

Text by Neil MacFarquhar

Nanna Heitmann spent clip observing Russian troops grooming successful Chechnya, past aboriginal traveled to Bakhmut, Ukraine. Neil MacFarquhar reported from New York.

June 16, 2024

A hulking subject transport level roared onto the tarmac astatine the main airfield successful Grozny, the superior of the Chechen Republic successful southeastern Russia, and a radical of 120 unpaid fighters heading for Ukraine clambered aboard.

Dressed successful camouflage, the recently minted troops had conscionable completed astatine slightest 10 days of grooming successful Gudermes, adjacent Grozny, astatine the Special Forces University, which accepts men from crossed Russia for wide subject instruction.

Some of the trainees lacked immoderate combat experience. Others were veterans returning to Ukraine for their 2nd oregon 3rd circuit — including erstwhile mercenaries from the Wagner militia, disbanded successful 2023 aft a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin.