Russia's Dagestan claims to intercept drone, airport halts flights
The downing of a drone in Dagestan comes shortly after an unprecedented drone strike against a Russian military academy in neighboring Chechnya on Oct. 29.
The downing of a drone in Dagestan comes shortly after an unprecedented drone strike against a Russian military academy in neighboring Chechnya on Oct. 29.
Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov on Oct. 29 apparently boasted about using Ukrainian prisoners as human shields, claiming there were casualties among the captives after a drone strike on Chechnya.
One of the most likely versions explaining the incident links the attack to the deadly shooting in the Moscow office of the Russian online retailer Wildberries in September and a conflict between Kadyrov and lawmakers from the neighboring Caucasus republics, the source said.
The drones hit the building of the Russian Special Forces University named after Vladimir Putin in the city of Gudermes, the independent news outlet Agentstvo reported.
The incident took place near Grozny, the capital of Russia's Muslim-majority republic in the North Caucasus ruled by Putin's ally, dictator Ramzan Kadyrov.
"There are witnesses, there are people from whom they tried to commission, whom they asked how much they would take for the order," Ramzan Kadyrov said in Chechen to other officials from the North Caucasian republic.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to the Chechen Republic on Aug. 21 to inspect Chechen troops readying to deploy to Ukraine's front line - marking his first visit to the region in 13 years.
"I had the pleasure of testing the new technology and saw for myself that it is not by chance that it is called 'Cyberbeast.' ... I am sure this 'beast' will be of great use to our fighters," Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov said on Aug. 17.
The French Interior Ministry did not provide any more details but said it was the first terrorist plot targeting the Olympics that had been foiled.
New reporting has put the Chechen warlord's health in the headlines once more. But there are other, subtler, signs that the republic might be preparing for a regime change. Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov is used to speculation about his imminent demise. Pundits have discussed the 47-year-old's failing health since September
A Chechen Telegram channel unaffiliated with the regime of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov shared videos of what appeared to be Askhab Uspanov's dead body lying in a morgue, showing lacerations on his neck and other signs of apparent abuse.