Putin loyalist Ramzan Kadyrov criticises Russian army after Ukraine setback

Staunch Kremlin supporter Ramzan Kadyrov has criticised the Russian army after the loss of a substantial amount of occupied territory in eastern Ukraine to Ukrainian forces. 

“I’m not a strategist like those in the Defence Ministry. But it’s clear that mistakes were made. I think they will draw a few conclusions,” Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed leader of the predominantly Muslim region of Chechnya, said in an audio message on Telegram according to  Novaya Gazeta Europe.

“If today or tomorrow no changes in strategy are made, I will be forced to speak with the leadership of the defence ministry and the leadership of the country to explain the real situation on the ground to them. It’s a very interesting situation. It’s astounding, I would say,” he added as quoted in The Guardian. 

The leader of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, who sent his own fighters to Ukraine, said if there are not immediate changes in Russia’s conduct of the invasion, “he would have to contact the leadership of the country to explain to them the real situation on the ground.”

— Bill Labovitz (@wlabovitz) September 12, 2022

Ukraine’s military announced that they had recaptured territories in the east from the Russians as a lightning-fast counteroffensive caught the invading Russian army off guard. 

"In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian armed forces drove the enemy away from more than 20 settlements" and are regaining "full control over them", the Ukrainian army said in its daily briefing on Monday. 

Kadyrov is a former rebel-turned ally who was appointed by the Kremlin as leader of the region of Chechnya.

The Kremlin has focused on silencing dissenting voices ever since it ordered the invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February this year. Many units from Kadyrov’s Chechnya have also taken part in the war effort.