Ukraine’s parliament declares ‘Chechen Republic of Ichkeria’ Russian-occupied territory

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has declared that “the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria” is a territory “temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation.” 287 Rada deputies voted in favor of the resolution that says so, and also condemns “the genocide of the Chechen people.”

Some Ukrainian politicians and media have written that Verkhovna Rada had supposedly recognized the independence and sovereignty of Ichkeria, but this is not true. The bill on recognizing Ichkeria as an independent state was introduced into the Rada in July, by deputies Olexiy Honcharenko and Musa Magomedov. That bill has not yet been considered by the Ukrainian parliament.

The current head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov is one of the most vocal supporters of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, Chechen military units have been involved in combat on Ukrainian territory.

Supporters of Ichkerian independence are also taking part in the war, but on the Ukrainian side. In August 2022, Kadyrov declared blood vengeance on those fighters.

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What it’s like to be Kadyrov

‘Anything but a hawk’ Elena Milashina has been writing about Chechnya for years — and thinks that Ramzan Kadyrov is trying to protect it from the worst

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