Russian President Vladimir Putin contacted the Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, and congratulated him on the elimination of a gang led by field commander Aslan Butukayev.
The Russian news agency TASS reported, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday, that "Putin communicated with the Chechen president via phone and congratulated him and other participants in the security operation that resulted in the elimination of the six gang members, and stated that they would receive state awards." Peskov clarified that Butukayev was wanted by security agencies in the Republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia.
The operation involved units from the Russian National Guard and the Chechen rapid response brigade, and was personally led by the Head of Chechnya, with ongoing efforts to identify the killed militants.
Earlier, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov announced the killing of six militants in his republic, adding that this event was evidence of closing the chapter on the activities of armed gangs in Chechnya.
Kadyrov indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was aware of the operation and made modifications to its course, directing it with the highest level of professionalism without casualties among the security forces.
It is noteworthy that both the European Union and the United States listed Aslan Butukayev, nicknamed "the last Chechen emir," along with Eirat Khaidov (born in Tatarstan) on their blacklists of individuals suspected of connections to the "ISIS" and "Al-Qaeda" organizations in 2016, as they fought alongside "ISIS" in Syria.
Information obtained from the United Nations indicates that Aslan Butukayev, born in 1974, is involved in financing terrorist activities, planning, and conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks for "Al-Qaeda," the "Caucasus Emirate," and other terrorist groups in the North Caucasus, in addition to his role in selling and supplying weapons and other materials to terrorists.
