MAKHACHKALA, October 29. /TASS/. More than 170 former PMC Wagner fighters have joined the Akhmat special unit, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Sunday.

"Former PMC Wagner fighters will serve in the Akhmat elite unit. Another group of fighters willing to continue service in our unit includes more than 170 fighters who have a rich experience of combat operations both in Donbass and Ukraine and in other hot zones," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

"By the way, Wagner fighters signed contracts and joined our unit earlier. But now, this is a mass personnel replacement. I am sure that other former Wagner representatives will follow the lead and join the Akhmat unit. On our part, we are only glad. We will be fighting against Russia’s enemies in the territory of the special military operation in a tightly-knit family and will defend our homeland through consolidated efforts," he added.