All news

Chechnya's leader says all Chechen volunteers returned home from Donbas

Ramzan Kadyrov called the volunteers that participated in combat actions in Ukraine "hooligans"
Ramzan Kadyrov  TASS/Elena Afonina
Ramzan Kadyrov
© TASS/Elena Afonina

GROZNY, July 31. /TASS/. All Chechen volunteers who have fought on the side of the militias [of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR republics] in the [Ukrainian eastern region of] Donbas have returned home, head of the Republic of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov said on Friday, calling them "hooligans."

"Everybody says that there are Chechen volunteers there [in Donbas]. When the ceasefire agreement was reached there, we invited all our volunteers home. We have taken home the hooligans that were there. So, none of them should now be present there," Kadyrov is quoted by his press service.

He also said that Russia is not involved in the conflict in the southeast of Ukraine, adding that had it really been involved, Kiev would have long ago felt it.

"Had, as they say, Russia participated in this, they would have long felt it," said the head of Chechnya.

Kadyrov said previously he did not know how many Chechen volunteers were fighting in the southeast of Ukraine.