One police officer killed, another injured in Chechen attack on traffic checkpoint

Traffic police at a checkpoint in the Chechen town of Achkhoy-Martan came under attack on Monday evening when a local resident armed with a knife assaulted officers. Two officers sustained stab wounds, one of whom, Ramzan Dubaev, succumbed to his injuries later that night in hospital. The attacker was fatally shot by police at the scene.

Following the attack, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under charges of attempt on the life of a law enforcement officer. Authorities have not disclosed the attacker’s identity, but are working to determine his motives.

Unconfirmed reports identified the suspect as Eskerkhan Khumashev. The opposition group Niyso claimed he was 16 years old, while the security services-affiliated Telegram channel BAZA stated he was 17 and lived in close proximity to the checkpoint.

According to sources discovered by OC Media, the attacker’s name was Eskarkhan, not Eskerkhan, he was officially registered as a resident of Moscow and was 17 years old.

Chechen authorities have not commented on the attack in their official accounts. Local Chechen news agencies and state television channels provided only brief coverage, referring to the Investigative Committee and omitting details.

The Achkhoy-Martan incident marks at least the second such attack on a police checkpoint in Chechnya in the past six months. On the night of 4–5 October 2024, reports emerged of an attack on a police post in Gudermes. A witness claimed a grenade exploded near the checkpoint, injuring an officer with shrapnel.

Shortly after, on 24 October, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a military truck carrying Russian National Guard troops near the village of Petropavlovskaya, on the outskirts of Grozny. One soldier was killed.

In February 2024, three armed men attacked a police officer in the village of Stary Achkhoy in the Achkhoy-Martan district. The assailants were killed in the confrontation, and the officer sustained injuries. Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov later confirmed that two additional suspects linked to the group had been detained.

Chechen authorities regularly claim they have achieved total victory over terrorism in the republic.