Adam Delimkhanov, a deputy in the State's Duma for Chechnya and a close associate of the Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, has been wounded, the press service of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) reported on June 14.
It is unclear under what circumstances the injury happened in or where Delimkhanov now is.
Earlier on June 14, a Ukrainian soldier Kirill Sazonov claimed on Facebook that the Chechen deputy was killed during fighting in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The LDPR denied this statement, insisting he is injured but alive.
Duma's Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin claimed that he has talked to Delimkhanov today, adding he is alive and well.
The commander of the Chechen Akhmat battalion Apti Alaudinov also initially said that Delimkhanov is alive and is in Chechnya, meeting Kadyrov.
Alexander Query
However, Kadyrov wrote on Telegram that he is not aware of his associate's whereabouts and asked the Ukrainian intelligence for information, promising a "generous reward."
Shortly after that, Alaudinov announced that he is going to the scene of Delimkanov's alleged incident on Kadyrov's orders to find and retrieve him.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
On June 13, Delimkhanov reportedly met Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov as Kadyrov promised to deploy Chechen troops to the region to defend against cross-border incursions by anti-regime Russian armed groups.
A deputy for the United Russia Party, Delimkhanov went to Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale invasion to command Kadyrov's Chechen fighters.
Delimkhanov has been sanctioned by the U.S., the EU, and Ukraine, and put on the wanted list by Interpol.
He is suspected of being involved in the assassinations of political opponents of Kadyrov and Vladimir Putin, such as Imran Aliev, Sulim Yamadayev, and Boris Nemtsov.
(Updated: )
