The Chechen opposition movement NIYSO has claimed that four men from a family in Chechnya — including one minor — were forced to sign a contract to fight in Ukraine. The movement claims this came as punishment for a relative who had ‘done something wrong’.
The movement published a video on Tuesday showing four men in military uniform. They identified them as members of the Dadaev family: father Adlan, his sons Islam and Askhab, and nephew Adam. In the footage, Adlan Dadaev addresses his relative Khamzat, accusing him of ‘not keeping his mouth shut’ and saying that they had been ‘made to sign a contract’ with the ministry as a result.
NIYSO claimed that Askhab Dadaev was underage at only 17 years old. It is unknown how or why he was allowed to sign the contract.
The movement also points to Zamid Chalaev, commander of the Akhmat Kadyrov Interior Ministry regiment, as being responsible for sending the Dadaevs to war.
According to NIYSO, Chalaev had posted a story on Instagram in which he says in Chechen that the ‘relatives of a person who encroaches on honour’ were being sent to fight in Ukraine. Chalaev was likely suggesting that a member of the family had insulted Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov’s family.
According to NIYSO, Chalaev said the Dadaevs had supposedly volunteered to fight ‘to wash away the shame of an unworthy son’. However, he did not specify who exactly he meant or what he meant by ‘shame’. The story is now unavailable.
A day later, NIYSO published a short message saying that the abducted members of the Dadaev family had been released. The channel did not provide any details on why the Dadaevs were allowed to return home, nor did they clarify whether the family might be sent to war later.
In December 2024, Adlan Dadaev and his elder son Islam were, according to NIYSO, abducted by Chechen security forces from their home in Alkhan-Kala. The family was allegedly held hostage and pressured to secure the return of Khamzat Dadaev from abroad. Later, Khamzat recorded a video stating that the claims against him by the authorities were linked to meetings he had with ‘unnecessary people’ while in exile. He also said that members of his family had been threatened with ‘killing or being sent to war’ if he did not return to Chechnya.
Elizaveta Chukharova
