Practice of large-scale purges resumed in Chechnya

The Russian military start applying the practice of conducting large-scale operations in Chechnya again. They completely cordon off settlements and check all people in the course of these operations.

On May 24, federal units encircled the village of Alkhan-Yurt, Chechnya's Urus-Martan district. They blocked all approaches to the settlement and conducted a so call large-scale "purge" in the village.

The same day, the military entered the village of Samashki, Chechnya's Achkhoy-Martan district. They completely cordoned off the settlement.

In the morning of May 25, federal soldiers supported by armored vehicles blocked all roads leading to the village of Sernovodsk, which is situated in the Sunzha district of Chechnya several kilometers away from the border with Ingushetia.

A "purge" was also conducted by the military in the village of Khanbi-Irze, Chechnya's Achkhoy-Martan district.

The renewal of the practice of "large-scale purges", which the Russian military command allegedly abandoned as early as the spring of the last year announcing a change in tactics and the start of "address operations", is most likely caused by the considerable increase in the number Chechen rebels' actions.

Meanwhile, Chechen residents note one rule. Settlements situated in southwest Chechnya in the direction of the administrative border with Ingushetia were first subjected (and are being subjected) to large-scale "purges". Taking into consideration the fact that the outskirts of the Muzhichi village, Ingushetia's Sunzha district, were bombarded a few days ago, the conclusion can be made up that the federal command connects the worsening of the situation in the republic after the murder of Chechen president Akhmat Kadyrov with foothills somehow and takes a kind of preventive measures against villages traditionally used by Chechen separatists to move from the mountains to the plains.