A sign that appeared behind him exposed Russian Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov after he announced he was among his troops engaged in fierce battles in Ukraine, particularly in the city of Mariupol in the south of the country. A photo of Kadyrov, published by media outlets loyal to him, was taken near a "Pulsar" gas station, which is exclusive to Russia, highlighting the deception of a man who is one of Moscow’s staunchest supporters, according to the British newspaper "Telegraph."
On Monday, the Chechen leader, who holds a prominent position on social media, shared a photo of himself at a gas station, claiming it was captured outside the besieged city of Mariupol, where he was seen kneeling on a prayer rug with a submachine gun nearby. However, the sign on the pump behind him read "Pulsar," the trade name of the state-controlled Russian oil company Rosneft, which does not operate gas stations in Ukraine.
This photo marks Kadyrov's second attempt to present himself as engaged in the war on Ukrainian territory.
In a separate incident, Kadyrov previously broadcast a video claiming to be among his forces fighting in the vicinity of Mariupol, yet on the same day, he was seen hosting a Russian official in Grozny, leading many to doubt his presence at the front lines, deeming it impossible.
A Strong Ally of Putin
Kadyrov announced on February 25, only one day after the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, that Chechen fighters loyal to him were fighting alongside Russian forces. While it is uncertain how many of his fighters have been deployed to Ukraine, some media reports suggested around ten thousand, with several having fallen in battles there.
Notably, Kadyrov has expressed strong support for the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine and for Russia's annexation of Crimea. He is included in the EU and U.S. sanctions lists targeting Putin’s close allies. His Telegram account is active in posting updates on the field developments faced by his forces, especially in Mariupol, where he recently shared images of operations in neighborhoods of the city, claiming they had controlled 90-95 percent of it.
In 2020, Instagram shut down Kadyrov’s page, which had over one and a half million followers, due to U.S. sanctions imposed on him. Facebook had previously closed his account in 2017, according to a report by BBC.
