Kadyrov's 'TikTok regiment' falters: Internal strife and looting exposed

Soldiers of the 141st Special Motorised Regiment named after Akhmad Kadyrov, sent by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, evoke mixed feelings among the Russians themselves. On one hand, they are part of the Russian Spetsnaz, and on the other, they are Muslims, whom most Russians dislike. Moreover, they do not give any reasons for sympathy.

Since the beginning of August, the Kadyrovites have been fighting in the Kursk breach, where they suffered significant losses due to poor training and a lack of willingness to fight. Gradually, they were losing ground to the Ukrainians, first near Sudzha, then near Malaya Loknya, and finally on the outskirts of Korenewo.

Their "combativeness" is best evidenced by the fact that in two of the last mentioned locations, the Russians managed to temporarily halt the Ukrainians only when conscripts from the Russian training regiment replaced the Chechens.

On 17 August, Ukrainian media reported that near Korenewo, a company composed of young Russian conscripts surrendered. The captured teenagers said they laid down their arms to avoid being killed by the Kadyrovites. According to the prisoners' accounts, the Chechens became a barrier unit that caught retreating units and forced them to re-engage in combat.

This is not the first instance where Kadyrov’s soldiers, instead of fighting Ukrainians, are used for this purpose – they carried out similar tasks in June near Volchansk. They were not an exception, as the Russians established the first barrier units in the autumn of 2022. They did this in the style of World War II. Back then, the NKVD created units that, as Stalin wrote, "in case of panic and scattered withdrawals of elements of the divisions to shoot in place panic-mongers and cowards and thus help the honest soldiers of the division execute their duty to the Motherland." This order from Stalin numbered 227, is known as "Not a step back!".

Now, the Chechens are helping "sincere soldiers". Meanwhile, they are rampaging in the rear of the front, committing theft and looting.

Three days after the Kadyrovites were withdrawn from the front line, a video appeared on Russian social media showing Chechens trying to break into a shop for half an hour. When they finally got inside, they started looting. Their haul included phones, chargers, and memory cards.

When the video spread online, the regiment's commander, Gen. Apta Alauddinov, began threatening internet users, saying he would find and "shoot them for slandering the good name of one of the best Russian units." This won't be easy, as there are tens of thousands of comments under the video. It's easy to guess that most are very unfavourable.

Internet users stated, "their [the Kadyrovites'] level ends at attacking mobile shops." This is not surprising, given that filming "victorious TikToks requires a stock of phones." There are also comments that directly express the attitude of many Russians toward the Chechens. "I hope they don't have much longer to live." This is one of the mildest posts describing attitudes toward the Kadyrovites.

The "assault" on a mobile shop was by no means an isolated incident. The scale of the looting was so severe that even the office of Kursk Governor Roman Alyokhin issued a statement and gave the Kadyrovites a stern warning. However, that’s where it ended because even thieves are needed by the Kremlin on the front.

At the beginning of the operation in Kursk, several dozen Chechens were captured by the Ukrainians. Alauddinov assured on social media that this was impossible, as according to him, only three Chechens were surprised and tricked into captivity. And all Chechen prisoners shown in Ukrainian media are, according to the general, not Chechens but Ukrainian actors.

In another recording, however, Alauddinov added that if someone is captured, they can no longer be called a Chechen because a Chechen does not surrender. In this way, Alauddinov solved the problem of Chechen prisoners. They simply do not exist because anyone who surrenders ceases to be a Chechen.

The regiment suffered enormous losses when abandoning positions near Sudzha. Many videos showing the Kadyrovites fleeing appeared on Russian social media. After their publication, Alauddinov again threatened bloggers that he would shoot anyone who replicated Ukrainian manipulations and lies.

The brave general does not appear on the front himself. Significantly, since his regiment was cut off from the supply lines and was practically surrounded by the Seim River, the Ukrainian border, and the advancing Ukrainians, he regularly appears on TikTok in an ironed and clean uniform. Similarly, he gives frequent interviews in the media, praising his bravery and assuring that the "special military operation" will last another two to three months and the Ukrainians will surrender.

However, patience with Alauddinov is slowly running out. When he published a clumsily edited video, which was supposed to be evidence of the fierce resistance that the Kadyrovites put up in Sudzha, it was quickly debunked. It turned out that the video was shot in the rear, and the Kadyrovites were "repelling an attack" from their colleagues.

Even some Kremlin propagandists couldn't tolerate it, including Vladimir Solovyov. He demanded that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin "finally take some measures" against Alauddinov. It ended with a stern warning, and the video was removed from the account. The Chechens, although meme-worthy, are helpful.