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Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion

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Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion
Чеченський миротворчий батальйон імені Джохара Дудаєва (Ukrainian)
Battalion sleeve insignia.
Founded2014 (2014)
Country Ukraine
Allegiance Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Ministry of Defense
Branch Ukrainian Ground Forces
TypeBattalion
SizeSeveral hundred[1][2]
Motto(s)Marşo ya joƶalla ("Freedom or Death")
Colors Ukraine
 Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander
Notable
commanders		Isa Munayev †

The Dzhokhar Dudayev Chechen Peacekeeping Battalion (Ukrainian: Чеченський миротворчий батальйон імені Джохара Дудаєва, romanized: Chechenskyi myrotvorchyi batalion imeni Dzhokhara Dudaieva) is a Chechen volunteer battalion named after the first President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev. The battalion is made up of Chechen volunteers, many of whom fought in the First Chechen War and Second Chechen War on the side of the Republic of Ichkeria, Ingush, Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians.

The battalion has been under the command of Adam Osmayev since 1 February 2015, after Isa Munayev was killed in action at the Battle of Debaltseve in Eastern Ukraine.[4][5]

The Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion is one of several Chechen armed formations on the side of Ukraine.

Creation

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The creation of the battalion began in early March 2014 in Denmark. This is where a large number of Chechens, opposed to Russia and forced to emigrate after the Second Russian-Chechen War, are located. It was initiated by the Free Caucasus Organization, which was created in 2006 in Denmark by political emigrants from Caucasus countries in Europe.[6]

On March 26, it was announced that the 1st company of the International Peacekeeping Battalion named after Dzhokhar Dudayev would be named after Sashko Biliy (Oleksandr Muzychko).[7] The 2nd company is named after Khamzat Gelayev. The battalion's founder and first leader Isa Munayev was appointed a military commander in charge of the defense of the Chechen capital by Ichkeria's President Aslan Maskhadov during the Battle of Grozny (1999–2000) where he used various urban warfare tactics including ambushes, car bombs, and mines during the defense of the city.[5][8]

Participation in warfare

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The flag of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is used by the battalion.[9]

After the creation of the battalion in 2014, it has actively fought in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. It participated in the 2014 Battle of Ilovaisk.
During the 2015 Battle of Debaltseve, the battalion led by its commander Isa Munayev took part in the intense fighting around the city. Fighters of the battalion led by Munayev organized raids behind the lines of the pro-Russian forces, attacking the command posts, artillery, rocket launchers and entrenched tanks. On February 1, Munayev was killed in action after being hit by shrapnel from a tank shell.[4][1]

Chechen specialists take part in battles in Eastern Ukraine and work as instructors, training young commanders.[4]

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the battalion took part in the defense of Ukraine fighting in the Kyiv area against Russian forces.[10]
The Russian invasion of Ukraine saw the group receive a huge influx of new members.[2] After the defence of Kyiv and the successful Kyiv counteroffensive against Russian troops, the battalion was deployed around the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.

Since then, the battalion has fought in the Battle of Kharkiv and Battle of Izium. Since November 2022, units have been deployed in Battle of Bakhmut, which has seen the scenes of intense fighting.[3][2]

Structure

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  • Separate reconnaissance Group "Adam"
    • 1st Company
    • 2nd Company
    • Scout Platoon

Notable members

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  • İsa Sadıqov [az], Chief of Staff of the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion. Former Colonel of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, former Deputy Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan (1993–1995), former head of the Union of Officers of Azerbaijan.[11] Wanted by the Azerbaijani government.[12]
  • Sergey Melnikoff, a photographer with US citizenship. Holder of the Order of the Hero of Ichkeria.[11]
  • Nureddin Ismailov, he commanded the Boz Qurd (lit. "Grey Wolves") detachment during the Karabakh war[11]
  • Shamil Tsuneoka Tanaka, a Japanese journalist, converted to Islam in 2001 while being a member of Gelayev's detachment that took part in the conflict in the Kodori Gorge[11][13]
  • Amina Okueva, aka Natalia Kaminskaya or Amina Mustafinova, wife of Adam Osmayev, press secretary of the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Walker, Shaun (24 July 2015). "'We like partisan warfare.' Chechens fighting in Ukraine - on both sides". the Guardian.
  2. ^ a b c "Rival Chechen Fighters Take War to Battlefields of Ukraine". Voanews. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Alexander Query; Francis Farrell (25 November 2022). "Meet the Chechens fighting Russia in Ukraine". Kyivindependent. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Mamon, Marcin (27 February 2015). "The Final Days of a Chechen Commander Fighting in Ukraine". The Intercept. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  5. ^ a b Walker, Shaun (24 July 2015). "'We like partisan warfare.' Chechens fighting in Ukraine - on both sides". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  6. ^ Fedor, Julie; Greene, Samuel; Härtel, Andre; Makarychev, Andrey; Umland, Andreas (11 October 2016). Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society: 2016/2: Violence in the Post-Soviet Space. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-3-8382-6948-1.
  7. ^ "The 1st company of the international peacekeeping battalion named after Dzhokhar Dudayev is named after the Ukrainian hero Sashko Bily". Chechenews. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015.
  8. ^ Vatchagaev, Mairbek (18 July 2014). "Chechen Experience in Urban Combat Could Be of Vital Use to Ukraine". North Caucasus Weekly. 15 (14). Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Picture". media.worldbulletin.net. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015.
  10. ^ Ghaedi, Monir (24 March 2022). "Chechen and Tatar Muslims take up arms to fight for Ukraine". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d «Бригадного генерала» Мунаева сменил несостоявшийся киллер Осмаев. Кем он командует?
  12. ^ Иса Садыгов назначен начальником Штаба миротворческого батальона им Дж. Дудаева Archived 2015-02-04 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Shamil Tanaka: un musulmán japonés para el batallón Dudayev (in Spanish)
  14. ^ Батальон им. Дудаева возглавил чеченец, обвиняемый в покушении на Путина | Украинская правда
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