Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, is said to have flown to Ukraine, where members of his paramilitary group are said to be fighting alongside Russian troops.
A Chechen TV channel owned by Kadryov's government uploaded a video to Telegram claiming that he was in Ukraine, albeit it did not specify his specific location or when the video was made.
There was no independent corroboration of the assertion until later. Kadyrov has yet to announce his presence in Ukraine on his own social media platforms. However, it is known that Chechen National Guard forces were dispatched to the nation.
Kadyrov is seen in the video talking with soldiers who recount their conduct. In the backdrop, a flag with the likeness of Kadyrov's father, Akhmad, can be seen.
In the video, Kadyrov only speaks briefly while a soldier describes how a battalion gained possession of an orphanage 7 kilometres from Kyiv.
The soldier responds, "the method you gave to us turned out to be 100% right."
"Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov alongside warriors engaged in a special military operation in Ukraine," the video description reads.
Some films were taken by Chechen forces as they prepared to leave for Ukraine or as they moved across Ukraine, and they were then uploaded on Kadyrov's personal Telegram channel.
Chechen paramilitary troops are largely regarded as a capable combat force, having previously been sent to eastern Ukraine, as well as Syria, apparently with official approval.
However, judging by the geolocation data of the phone used by the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, his claims that he allegedly visited Chechen military personnel participating in the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the Ukrainian city of Gostomel do not correspond to reality.
Ukrayinska Pravda obtained the phone numbers used by Kadyrov from its sources in the Ukrainian Security Service. According to data from Ukrainian mobile operators, the publication reports, over the past seven days, these numbers have not been connected to Ukrainian communication towers.
