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20 DEC 2024
Kadyrov: Plans to 'Voluntarily Recruit' 84,000 People for Ukraine War
20 DEC 2024
Ramzan Kadyrov. Photo: TASS
In October and November 2024, volunteers from the Memorial Human Rights Centre surveyed residents of the Chechen Republic. This research involved interviews with people of various ages and social backgrounds, focusing on recent abductions and illegal detentions and their underlying causes. The survey revealed a wave of unlawful detentions across Chechnya. This 'campaign' likely purpose is to bolster the ranks of various paramilitary units being consecutively established in the region, which require personnel, particularly for deployment in the war in Ukraine.
Table of Contents
Formation of Battalions for Deployment in Ukraine
Since the early 2000s, Akhmad Kadyrov, and especially his son Ramzan Kadyrov, have systematically strengthened the security component of their authority. Several units formally subordinate to federal structures—the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Rosgvardia (Russian National Guard) and recently the Ministry of Defence (MoD) — are effectively run by people close to Ramzan Kadyrov and operate under his command.
Among the units established before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Chechen leader controls four regiments, one separate battalion and three OMON (Special Purpose Mobile Unit) detachments within Rosgvardia's structure, as well as one regiment and one battalion within the Chechen Republic's Interior Ministry.
Following the commencement of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Chechen leader began actively forming new units and subdivisions. In 2022, a motorised rifle regiment and three motorised rifle battalions subordinate to the Ministry of Defence were formed, along with the so-called 'volunteer' Akhmat detachment, which later also came under MoD command, plus a regiment and a separate OMON unit within Rosgvardia. In 2023, two additional regiments and a separate battalion subordinate to the Ministry of Defence were formed, along with a battalion within Rosgvardia. We have written extensively about the composition and size of both 'old' and 'new' formations under Kadyrov's control in our bulletin issues covering events in the first and second half of 2022 and the second half of 2023.
To staff and replenish the ranks, in addition to volunteers who are willing to serve for a high fee, security officials from Chechnya often resort to familiar methods — kidnapping, pressure and threats, including fabrication of criminal cases, violence, blackmail, and extortion of money from individuals and their relatives to avoid deployment to the war zone or prosecution under falsified criminal charges. We have previously reported such cases.
New Wave of "Voluntary" Mobilisation and Its Precursors
A new "volunteer recruitment" campaign began in the republic in October and November 2024. On October 9, during a meeting with commanders and heads of the Chechen Republic's security forces, Ramzan Kadyrov announced the creation of an additional regiment. He did not specify which federal structure this regiment would be part of. According to journalists from the Proekt media outlet, it will be formed within Rosgvardia.
At the meeting, Ramzan Kadyrov made important statements about the principles of staffing this regiment.
"We have warned such troublemakers and law-breakers many times. From now on, the conversation with them will be brief. If you don't respect the law — either go to prison for the maximum term or sign a contract and head to the Special Military Operation zone. There you can show your bravery, audacity, and recklessness to the enemy.
Instead of imposing administrative penalties, it would be more expedient to send offenders to serve in the Russian forces. Considering that we are forming a new regiment of 2,500 men, this will be appropriate. There will be places for everyone. I have instructed my dear BROTHER, State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov, to take control of this matter," Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel following the meeting. He also stated that young Chechens who disturb public order and shame their people in other Russian regions should be gathered and flown back to the republic for "re-education." At the same time, he claims that only willing volunteers were sent to war, strictly voluntarily, and that the republic has long "fulfilled its quota."
Formally, "recruitment activities" for "volunteers" in Chechnya are conducted voluntarily, but in practice, they are accompanied by widespread gross human rights violations to force men to sign contracts.
This "campaign" intensified particularly after the head of the Chechen Republic's speech at a meeting with security officials and government members on October 29, 2024. He stated that out of 84,000 residents eligible for service, none had been drafted yet, but men should fight.
"We have 84,000 people eligible for conscription. We haven't drafted anyone yet, but now we need to tell these 84,000, if they are men, they need to go fight... All these 84,000 should be reported to military registration offices and called up voluntarily. We need to explain to them that this is a holy war, and we need it more than anyone," Kadyrov said.
According to our information, Ramzan Kadyrov has ordered each unit (district police departments, patrol police regiments, etc.) to recruit between 25 and 50 "volunteers."
It's worth noting that Kadyrov held this meeting in Gudermes after inspecting the Russian Special Forces University (RUS), which had been attacked by drones the day before. During
his visit, he declared that "retribution will be severe." However, only some respondents connect Kadyrov's speech and subsequent events with the drone attack in Gudermes in late October. Others believe it's related to the aftermath of the Wildberries scandal — allegedly, Ramzan Kadyrov's intervention in this conflict caused displeasure in the Kremlin, and now he's trying to rehabilitate himself.
A third group links this campaign to Vladimir Putin's latest visit to Chechnya.
Let us recall that Putin visited the republic in August 2024 for the first time in 13 years. During this visit, he also toured the RUS and met with volunteers from various Russian regions training there. Ramzan Kadyrov reported that since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Chechnya has sent 47,000 fighters to Ukraine, including 19,000 volunteers. According to him, the republic still maintains a "trained reserve" of several tens of thousands of fighters ready to deploy to the combat zone.
How "Volunteer" Recruitment is Conducted
Mobile Checkpoints and Inspections: Criminal investigation officers from Chechnya staff checkpoints at borders with neighbouring republics. Security forces also set up additional checkpoints within the republic and inspect vehicles, passengers' phones, primarily targeting young people. At the slightest possibility of finding fault — such as traffic violations or missing mandatory documents (insurance policy, proof of technical inspection, etc.) — citizens are detained and taken to unit deployment locations.
Talks and Pressure: After detention, residents face psychological and physical pressure. They are offered a choice between criminal prosecution and signing a contract with the Ministry of Defence. In some cases, an alternative is offered — employment in security structures, which now also serve as a source for subsequent mobilisation.
Note that before February 2022, many candidates for security force positions were willing to pay substantial bribes to secure employment. Now, there are far fewer willing candidates, as there's a high probability of being sent to war in Ukraine.
Social Media and Surveillance: Agents are planted in various messenger group chats to agitate young people. They particularly target students. In youth gathering places, such as cafés, recording devices are installed, for example under tables and chairs, to identify "unreliable" individuals.
Alongside the forced recruitment of "volunteers," military registration office staff and police distribute military summons to draft-age young men at their homes — despite the absence of official conscription into the army in Chechnya. To receive a draft deferment for six months or a year, one must pay a bribe.
Special Features of Ministry of Defence Contracts in the Chechen Republic
Absence of Medical Commissions: After a person is forced to agree to go to war in Ukraine as a "volunteer," they sign a contract with the Ministry of Defence. "Recruitment" is conducted without prior medical examination, resulting in "candidates" with serious health issues. There have been cases where the Ministry of Defence refused to conclude contracts after discovering such circumstances. Even in such cases, security forces compel relatives to pay large sums of money for the person's release.
Extortion: People are sometimes forced to recruit two new volunteers if they want to retrieve their detained relative. For example, such a case occurred in one of Grozny's police departments. A detained young man was given a choice: criminal charges, deployment to Ukraine, or employment in the police department, which could also eventually lead to deployment to war. The man resisted and stated he had no intention of working in security forces or fighting in Ukraine. Ultimately, his relatives were given an ultimatum: either bring two "volunteers" in exchange or the young man would go to prison. His relatives found two men and paid them over 1 million roubles in total.
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