Executive Summary
Within the information sphere of Z space, a long-smoldering conflict between so-called ‘Russian patriots’ and the ‘Kadyrovtsy’ (Kadyrov group) is gaining renewed momentum, as the latter have begun actively promoting the «Ahmat» special forces unit as an alternative to the defeated Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) since the beginning of autumn 2023.
The conflict between the «patriots» and the Kadyrov group has existed for a very long time. The peak of the conflict between “russkie siloviki’ (Russian security forces) and the Kadyrov group in recent years can be considered the murder of Boris Nemtsov and the subsequent creation of the «Rosgvardiya» (National Guard) under the command of General Viktor Zolotov, as a response to the uncontrolled actions of the head of Chechnya. The «Ahmat» unit became a part of the «Rosgvardiya», but despite the critics of the Russian special services, “Ahmat” still remains solely subordinate to Kadyrov.
Kadyrov’s unchecked authority and impunity, particularly after the start of the invasion of Ukraine, as well as the Kremlin’s general course in support of radical Islam, backing Iran and Hamas, and other pro- Islamic steps taken by Russian authorities, have intensified the smoldering conflict and led to public opposition from various groups. This was prominently evident in the unexpected support of Israel from channels associated with the security forces on Telegram, such as «Two Majors» and «VCHK OGPU,» which swiftly clarified their stance by countering Kadyrov’s and the Kremlin’s support for Hamas. The conflict was also visible during the riots at the airport in Makhachkala, where patriots and even military correspondents actively criticized the authorities for insufficiently punishing the rioters and for aligning with forces promoting Islam in Russia. Such conflicts occur almost daily, but in recent months, they have significantly escalated.
Starting from the end of October to the beginning of November 2023, the conflict between the security forces and patriots on one side and the Kadyrov group on the other has entered a public phase. The escalation is partially triggered by the destruction of the Wagner PMC and Kadyrov’s attempt to strengthen his position against this backdrop. Continuous information leaks about Wagner fighters joining the «Ahmat» special forces, attacks by «patriots» on Kadyrov, and various themes associated with the promotion of Islam on one side are accompanied by threats and public attacks against «patriotic» bloggers on the other. The shift of aggressive discussions between groups into the public sphere suggests that the conflict will hold significant importance in the redistribution of both financial resources and power in general. It is expected that the resistance between the security forces and patriots and the Kadyrov group will play a role in the event of power redistribution in Moscow after elections or in the case of any unexpected events.
Patriots vs. Kadyrov’s group
On October 29, in his Telegram channel, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, announced that 170 former Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) fighters had joined the «Ahmat» special forces unit. On October 31, in the channel of Anastasia Kashevarova, a former journalist for LifeNews and a former advisor to the Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, a post appeared stating that Wagner PMC fighters were massively joining «Ahmat» under Apti Alaudinov.
Additionally, Kashevarova was among the first to spread information that Pavel, the son of Prigozhin, held several meetings to preserve the Wagner PMC. Allegedly, one of the meetings was with the leadership of the National Guard (Rosgvardiya), and according to preliminary agreements, Wagner would become an integral part of the National Guard. Kashevarova claimed that the incorporation of Wagner PMC as a special unit of the National Guard would strengthen Zolotov, but this decision had its opponents.
Pro-Wagner and patriotic Telegram channels reacted on such “news“ aggressively. «Going to Ahmat is simply shameful for a Russian. But mainly, they go there for money,» wrote the Zа (V)Pobѣdу Telegram channel. «No ‘Wagnerites’ have joined ‘Ahmat,’ as it happens in the moist fantasies of Chechen TikTokers. And those two and a half cripples, as a colleague from Grey Zone said, who supposedly did switch, have no further association with the company,» wrote the channel close to the Wagner PMC, Thirteenth. Later, Thirteenth added that there were still individuals who indeed went to Ahmat: «The chief of staff of one military district betrayed the PMC for money, taking a small group there — less than fifty individuals out of twenty-five thousand Wagner fighters. He is the lover of a well-known journalist who is currently involved in Ahmat’s PR,» wrote Thirteenth, hinting at Kashevarova. This sparked a significant conflict between a segment of Russian patriots and Ahmat’s PR team on Telegram.
At the end of October, «Thirteenth,» who openly opposed the Kadyrovtsy and Ahmat, received support from many war correspondents. For instance, Roman Saponkov stated, «Kadyrov’s PR agents have initiated a smear campaign against Thirteenth, airing all his dirty laundry in a typical Eastern farce style. If Kadyrov’s PR agents want to dig into others’ pre-war biographies, I advise them to be fair and dig a bit deeper to understand who, at what age, killed the first Russian.» This refers to words allegedly spoken by Ramzan Kadyrov: «I killed the first Russian when I was 16.»
A month later, a conflict arose again between Thirteenth, close to the Wagner PMC, and Anastasia Kashevarova, the PR representative for Ahmat. This time, Thirteenth claims that representatives of Kashevarova and Ahmat are threatening his parents. In response, Thirteenth labels Kashevarova as the instigator of his «persecution» and threatens the harassers.
At first glance, this may seem like a local conflict between two warring factions. However, upon examining the level of support and the aggressiveness of statements from significant propagandists, it’s evident that the degree of hatred from so-called Russian patriots towards the Kadyrovtsy is quite high. Interestingly, influential patriotic Z-channels have publicly sided with «Thirteenth»: «Two Majors,» «Romanov Light,» «Southern Front,» and Pozdnyakov.
But the most interesting post regarding the situation between Ahmat and Thirteenth was written by the channel «Diary of a Paratrooper.» It’s interesting because the author discusses how «unfriendly» the Ahmat fighters behave toward Russian troops in the rear: «In the new territories of the Russian Federation, we encounter many Ahmat fighters who, instead of fraternal support, behave extremely unfriendly. They’re engaging in conflict with our own troops only in the rear: Ahmat fighters might simply throw guys into a pit for a uniform violation or lack of documents. There’s no collaboration between the Ahmat unit and other Russian Armed Forces, even though we should be doing the same thing: destroying the Ukro-fascists!» The overwhelming majority of commentators take an anti-Kadyrov stance, and anti-Putin statements are heard as well: «So, what does this mean? Our guys are sitting in their pit as if it’s 25 years ago, only now officially?» «And who is Ramzan anyway? Why should Russian warriors be afraid of some mountain abrek? Is he some kind of super authority for us?» «Ramzan is a legalized, amnestied terrorist whom Vova [diminutive for Vladimir] won’t touch, the scumbag.»
Interestingly, Ramzan Kadyrov, who typically reacts quite sensitively to criticism, in this case, hasn’t responded to the attacks by Z propagandists on Ahmat. On the contrary, he reports on «quality and effective interagency cooperation» and emphasizes that the new regiments «AHMAT-Russia» and «AHMAT-Chechnya» fall under the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
In turn, war correspondent Romanov cautiously trolls Kadyrov by publishing his video about «quality and effective interagency cooperation,» suggesting that the video might be staged. In the comments, there are more harsh statements about Ahmat: «It’s a circus. Who are they making this for? Aren’t they ashamed to storm empty houses on camera?» «Does anyone else even take this seriously? It’s the second year of war, and all these TikTok setups?»
Ultra-nationalist and populist Pozdnyakov, perhaps the boldest among the cheer-patriots, directly states that everyone around him considers Kadyrov an enemy of Russia. «This man discredits Russia on the world stage. This man incites national and interfaith discord in the country. When his offspring in detention simply beat the detainee, it’s a spit on the law and the constitution. It’s shock squared. What example is he setting for neutral Ukrainians and Europeans? Is this the new world order they should embrace and start supporting Russia? I think they’ll likely take up arms to prevent such chaos at home. Then come the endless awards, then battalions named after Russian killers, and so on.
All of this is deliberately done to infuriate the entire Russian populace even more. I’m absolutely certain about this, 100%. It’s done out of hatred and only for the sake of hatred.»
Pozdnyakov isn’t just a popular blogger; he’s an influencer with half a million followers, mostly teenagers who share his neo-Nazi views. He might be the main person capable of organizing disorder similar to what happened at Manezhnaya Square in central Moscow in 2010.
In mid-November, Ramzan Kadyrov stated that he was preparing for war. «We are preparing for war. It’s only beginning. The most interesting part is ahead,» Kadyrov responded when asked what he was preparing for, during a firing practice session with his sons, Akhmat and Adam. A video of Kadyrov and his sons shooting targets was published on his Telegram channel, with no mention of Ukraine in the video.
All of this occurs against the backdrop of a sharp surge in Kadyrov’s media activity in recent months. But is Kadyrov preparing solely for a transfer from the federal budget to fund the war? «We will execute any order, no matter the complexity or cost. For Russia till the end,» is stated in the recently created propaganda Telegram channel «AHMAT SPECIAL FORCES,» which Kashevarova is promoting.
«Apparently, the recent transfer of military property and heavy weapons from the Wagner PMC to Chechnya disrupted the balance of power among the elites, and in 2024, the Kadyrov family will play a key role in the power distribution in Moscow. If not for the ‘small’ war for the Kremlin expected, there wouldn’t have been a point in boosting Chechnya’s authority and arsenal,» quotes the «Brief» Telegram channel, citing another channel, «Scepter and State».