According to Chechen sources, the president, who was recently promoted to lieutenant general, is on his way to Mariupol “to increase the fighting spirit of our fighters.” Footage of it was shown on Russian television. Kadyrov is seen meeting and greeting General Andrei Mordvichev – the same commander who, according to Ukrainian sources, was killed on March 19. Kadyrov himself shared this excerpt on Telegram.
Another photo shows him with Denis Puschilin, President of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” about 100 kilometers away. However, one particularly bizarre photo caused the most discussion. He is said to be seen at “evening prayer” – stylishly with a draped machine gun – at a Ukrainian gas station. However, you can see from the logos of the filling stations that it was a branch of the Russian company Rosneft, which has not been represented in the country since 2018.
Despite the “improvable” press work of the Caucasus republic, the fighters from this area are very much feared. Kadyrov announces: “God willing, Mariupol will soon be completely cleaned up.” The city has been under siege for almost five weeks and is now said to be largely in ruins, with 100,000 people without water, food and electricity, according to Ukrainian sources.
