Within a few days, Kiev's troops recaptured huge sections of territory. Putin's "bloodhound" Ramzan Kadyrov then complained on Telegram about the Russian strategy of the Defense Ministry. If this does not change, he threatens to go to the state leadership.
Ramzan Kadyrov plays a prominent role alongside the Russian invaders in the war in Ukraine. The head of the Russian republic of Chechnya likes to portray himself as President Vladimir Putin's "bloodhound". In response to the Ukrainian army's counteroffensive, however, Kadyrov has now criticized Russian officials for military failures in Ukraine. "If changes are not made today or tomorrow in the conduct of the military special operation, I will be forced to go to the state leadership to explain the situation on the ground," Kadyrov said on Telegram.
In an audio message, the 45-year-old previously said that mistakes had been made and that he did not understand what strategy the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense had worked out. He then lists a number of towns that the Russians handed over to the Ukrainians without a fight.
Within a few days, Kiev troops have recaptured huge swaths of territory. The Ukrainian general staff spoke of more than 3000 square kilometers. In the Kharkiv region, the army is advancing not only to the south and east, but also to the north, towards the state border. During the course of Sunday, Russian troops withdrew from other border towns.
According to estimates by US military experts from the Institute for the Study of War, in less than a week Ukraine's gains have exceeded those of the Russians since April. "The liberation of Izyum would be Ukraine's most significant military achievement since the victory in the Battle of Kyiv in March," the experts wrote.
Kadyrov, who governs Chechnya with an iron fist on behalf of the Russian government, is considered a man for the rough. His private army has earned a reputation for extreme brutality, taking merciless action against insurgents, dissenters and homosexuals at home, among other things. His mercenaries are suspected of having committed several contract killings, for example against Russian opposition figures.
