A disagreement between Russian units in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region turned into a full-blown conflict in which at least 20 of Putin’s troops were killed after firing at each other with automatic weapons, it is said.
The National Resistance Center of Ukraine – an organization that helps coordinate the operations of pro-Ukrainian movements in occupied territory – reported that Russian fighters from Dagestan clashed with a unit of Chechen troops operating under the command of the head of the Republic of Chechnya , Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Putin.
A disagreement between the groups, which met in the Ukrainian town of Mykhailivka near Melitopol, led to some troops getting into a fistfight.
But the scrap quickly got out of hand.
One fighter was stabbed, whereupon the violence immediately escalated and the troops drew their guns and fired at each other with automatic weapons and even grenades, according to NRC sources.
Russian fighters from Dagestan clashed with a unit of Chechen fighters operating under the command of the head of the Republic of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured), a close ally of Putin
Kadyrov is pictured next to Putin
The incident took place in the Ukrainian town of Mykhailivka near Melitopol
The conflict arose when troops from Dagestan – a poor, mountainous region of southern Russia that was disproportionately affected by the Russian army’s conscription late last year – took offense at the arrival of the ‘Kadyrovites’, who are particularly vocal on social media and reportedly in town filming propaganda clips.
Around 8 p.m. local time, a fight broke out between the two groups.
The NRC reports: ‘During the argument, one of the occupants opened fire in the air with a small automatic weapon.
“During the battle, one of the occupiers suffered numerous stab wounds that were fatal.
“This led to open confrontation between units using GP-25 Koster grenade launchers and small automatic weapons under the barrel.”
About 20 Russian troops slaughtered each other in the improvised war, with the Chechen crew eventually overpowered by the Dagestanis, according to the NRC.
More than 40 were reportedly injured.
The reports from Chechen units operating in the Zaporizhzhia region confirm the report from the British Ministry of Defence, whose intelligence update this week acknowledged Kadyrov’s praise for the work of his troops there.
In an online post on August 10, 2023, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov acknowledged the efforts of the Chechen Vostok Akhmat battalion in the heavily contested Orikhiv sector in Zaporizhia Oblast.
A Chechen unit in Mariupol poses for a group photo in front of a destroyed building
Dagestan, a relatively poor region in the south of Russia, was hit hard last year by the Russian army’s mobilization efforts. Widespread anti-conscription protests led to many arrests
Kadyrov’s remarks emphasized the continuing role of one of the main Chechen units in this key area. Vostok officially comes under the command of the 42nd Motor Rifle Division of the Southern Military District, which has been active around the village of Robotyne.
Chechen forces are a relatively small but prominent component of the Russian forces in Ukraine. Kadyrov is likely heavily promoting the role of his units, in part to polish his credentials as a Putin loyalist.”
The town of Orikhiv, where Kadyrov claims his troops played an important role in fighting Ukrainian counter-attacks, is just 40 kilometers from Mykhailivka.
The report of Russian troops turning on each other comes as photos from the front lines show Ukrainian artillerymen raining down on Vladimir Putin’s invaders amid Kiev’s counter-offensive.
The Ukrainian army said it had driven Russian troops from areas along the front lines in the east and south of the country, building on the grueling counter-offensive launched two months ago.
The gains – announced by Ukraine’s deputy defense minister – came as Russia claimed its forces had made progress in the eastern Kharkiv region, undermining Kiev’s long-anticipated campaign.
Photos from the front lines show Ukrainian artillerymen raining down fire on Putin’s invaders as Kiev forces continue their counter-offensive
Ukrainian soldiers fire with D-30 artillery at Russian positions towards Klishchiivka as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues on August 12 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
The Ukrainian army said it had driven Russian troops from areas along the front lines in the east and south of the country, building on the grueling counter-offensive launched two months ago. Pictured: Ukrainian artillerymen fire shells at Russian positions
Ukraine began its counter-offensive against Russian forces in June after building assault battalions and stockpiling weapons donated by the West.
But progress has been hampered by widespread Russian-laid minefields and strong fortifications, Deputy Defense Secretary Hanna Maliar said.
Nevertheless, the Ukrainian army had advanced around the village of Staromaiorske, about 60 miles southwest of Russian-occupied Donetsk, and was pressing on two fronts in the south, Maliar said. She said troops were fighting for control of the neighboring Uroshaine settlement.
A Moscow-installed official in an occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said on Sunday that Kiev was attempting to break through Russian lines by gaining a foothold in both villages that stand in the way of Ukraine’s goal of entering the Sea of reach Azov.
“Hostilities are taking place near Uroshaine and the fighting is for this specific place,” Maliar said in a statement to an official military platform. “There is some success on the south and southeast axes near Staromaiorske.”
Maliar also said that Kiev’s army had performed “certain tasks” on the left bank (or east bank) of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.
The river formed the de facto front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the region after Kiev recaptured the area’s main city, also known as Kherson, in November.
In a recent intelligence update, Britain’s Defense Ministry noted “an increase in small-scale fighting” along the lower Dnipro River, where it said Ukrainian forces were attempting raids and establishing new beachheads.