Russian presidential envoy Chaika talks with Ingush and North Ossetian heads after border conflict
The Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District, Yuri Chaika, has held a meeting with Ingush Head Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov for the first time, as well as the Head of North Ossetia, Sergei Menyailo.
The online meeting took place against the backdrop of a mass conflict in the border village of Chermen in the Prigorodny district of North Ossetia, where at the end of August, a brawl broke out between residents of the two republics.
According to a statement from the envoy’s office, the participants discussed issues of interethnic and interfaith relations, the development of cultural ties, and measures to ensure public safety. The press release noted that Chaika gave Kalimatov and Menyailo ‘a number of specific instructions aimed at consolidating the efforts of all levels of government and society to strengthen civic unity’.
Details of the practical steps expected to follow the meeting were not specified. The official statement emphasised the importance of cooperation between the executive authorities and law enforcement agencies, as well as the need for ‘harmonisation of interethnic and interfaith relations’. Chaika underlined the priority of stability in the region and stressed the importance of the ‘unity of the multi-ethnic Russian people’.
Chaika also highlighted the significant role of Ingush and North Ossetian residents in events connected to the ‘special military operation’ — the term used by the Russian authorities to describe the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to Chaika, in the current circumstances ‘in the face of external pressure’, consolidation of society and unity of the North Caucasus regions are crucial.
Kalimatov reposted Chaika’s statement on his Telegram channel without any comments. On Menyailo’s social media accounts and in North Ossetian media outlets, there was no information about the officials’ talks.
The meeting came just days after the events near the Chermen checkpoint. On the evening of 24 August, a mass brawl broke out in the village of Chermen between residents of Ingushetia and North Ossetia. Videos from the scene show several dozen people taking part in the clashes. According to Telegram channels close to law enforcement, the incident may have been triggered by a domestic dispute.
Following the incident, Menyailo stated that ‘hotheads’ from both republics were to blame for the escalation. He also suggested that law enforcement should block entry to the region in the event of interethnic clashes. Later, North Ossetian security forces announced the detention of several participants in the conflict.
The Prigorodny district, where the incident occurred, remains one of the most sensitive areas in relations between North Ossetia and Ingushetia. In the early 1990s, an armed conflict took place there, during which hundreds of people were killed and tens of thousands of Ingush people were forced to leave their homes. The question of the territory’s status continues to fuel tensions between the two republics.
Elizaveta Chukharova
