- Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said he is assembling four military battalions to aid Russia.
- Per Kadyrov, the battalions will comprise an "impressive number" of troops.
- Their purpose will be to help "replenish" Russia's forces in Ukraine, Kadyrov said.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Sunday that he would be sending more troops to aid the Russians in their fight against Ukraine.
Kadyrov announced the move in a Telegram post, stating that four battalions featuring an "impressive number" of soldiers would be formed to aid Russia.
"The military contingent will include only Chechen guys," Kadyrov wrote. "They will replenish the composition of the troops of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation."
He said the four battalions would be named "North-Akhmat", "South-Akhmat", "West-Akhmat," and "Vostok-Akhmat," and would be deployed from the Chechen Republic.
"The desire to form new battalions with fully equipped personnel is caused by an extremely patriotic mood among the youth of the region," Kadyrov wrote.
"The number of people wishing to defend the Motherland is growing exponentially, and our task is to provide them with such an opportunity," the warlord added.
Kadyrov, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, previously claimed that he fought in Ukraine in the early days of Russia's invasion. According to Ukrainian officials, Kadyrov and Chechen fighters also plotted to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Despite his troops sustaining heavy casualties in the conflict, Kadyrov said in March that he viewed peace talks between Ukraine and Russia as pointless, adding that he wished to keep on fighting.
However, Kadyrov has also admitted that Russia is "finding it difficult" to sustain its onslaught on Ukraine.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fared more poorly than expected, especially in light of the "devastating losses" of its junior officers and generals alike.
Ukraine estimates that Russia has sustained heavy losses in the war, pegging its losses at around 31,500 troops killed since the invasion began on February 24. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also claimed that Russia has lost at least 200 aircraft in the Ukraine war.
This week, Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine, in what appeared to be a deliberate escalation of the conflict meant to coincide with the G7 meeting in Germany. The assault also led to a missile strike on a Ukrainian shopping mall with 1,000 people inside it.
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