Instagram users criticize colleague of Chechen commander Chalaev for Yermolov medal

A colleague of Zamid Chalaev, a commander of the Chechen special forces regiment, demonstrates a medal "For Service in the Caucasus", which can be easily bought in an online store, Instagram users note. Zamid Chalaev's post became a rare case of formal confirmation of the participation of Chechen natives in hostilities in Donbass.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that while congratulating through social networks his colleague Arsen on his birthday, Zamid Chalaev noted that Arsen "had been in Ukraine, South Ossetia, Libya, and Syria." Instagram users pointed to the contradictions between the official position claimed by Ramzan Kadyrov and the statements voiced by Zamid Chalaev.

Users of Instagram began to criticize the Zamid Chalaev's colleague because of his medal "For Service in the Caucasus" decorated with a portrait of General Yermolov. In their comments, Instagram users suggested that the colleague of Zamid Chalaev was also a native of Northern Caucasus and criticized him for wearing the medal.

"Yermolov killed a lot of Chechens. He cordoned off auls (villages, – a note of the 'Caucasian Knot') and burned all residents to the last one. He never extended mercy even to children, elderly people, and women. Yermolov then failed to overmaster the Chechens. A real Chechen, no matter what political views he may have, may not wear on his chest a portrait of the killer of his ancestors," wrote user za_svobodu1984.

User ibragim.akhmadov.m stood up for the colleague of Zamid Chalaev. "Arsen went through a difficult life stage while defending his position," user ibragim.akhmadov.m noted.

In September 2014, the "Caucasian Knot" released a video, from which it could be concluded that in 2014, natives of Chechnya took part in the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Officials of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (known as DNR) confirmed the participation of fighters from Chechnya in the conflict. In particular, on May 26, 2014, Alexander Borodai, Prime Minister of the DNR, reported that "peoples from Northern Caucasus were fighting" in the ranks of the DNR's forces.