Russia's Ministry of Defence plans to cut the size of its Chechen battalions, a general has said today.
Russian General Vladimir Shamanov said the Ministry of Defence had decided to cut the number of soldiers in the Vostok and Zapad battalions after Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader Ramzan Kadyrov accused them of murder and kidnapping.
"As a result the defence minister has decided to re-examine the personnel of both units, to reduce their numbers by 30 per cent and not to send them any more conscripts to them," he said.
Groomed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to be Chechnya's president, Mr Kadyrov had called for the Ministry of Defence to disband the battle-hardened Vostok battalion and sack its commander after a stand-off with the troops in April.
The Vostok battalion is commanded by Sulim Yamadayev - one of the few Chechens powerful enough to rival Mr Kadyrov (31), and cutting its strength would bolster Mr Kadyrov's power.
The battalions are currently patrolling as peacekeepers between Georgian forces and rebels in the Georgian breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and they have been described as the most battle-ready Russian soldiers.
They often fight rebels in the mountains but have also clashed with forces loyal to Mr Kadyrov.