Akhmat Special Forces commander Apty Alaudinov has praised his unit that “has been in the forefront since the very first days [of the special operation].”
"We have never been in the second echelon. We have never stood behind anyone. And in this regard, of course, it is very pleasant and flattering that we have been deployed to this [crucial Kharkov] area," he said.
When Was Akhmat Created?
The unit’s history dates back to 2009, when the now-late First President of Russia’s Chechen Republic Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov, the father of the republic’s current head Ramzan Kadyrov, endorsed the creation of the Akhmat Special Rapid Response Detachment.
The unit, which was formed on the basis of a special motorized regiment of troops with Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, included former members of Akhmat Kadyrov’s security service.
How Many Soldiers Does Akhmat Have?
There are reportedly up to 4,000 Akhmat members right now, with some sources claiming that more than 13,000 volunteers from different Russian regions have already joined the unit. They previously underwent tactical and fire training at the Russian University of Special Forces in the Chechen city of Gudermes.
What is Akhmat's Record?
The 2010s saw the unit help local authorities destroy the remaining outlawed armed formations in the Chechen Republic.
In late February 2022, Ramzan Kadyrov announced the deployment of the 2,000-strong Akhmat unit to the special military operation zone.
Later that year, Akhmat fighters took control of the city of Rubezhnoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).
Shortly after, the Akhmat unit was dispatched to the LPR’s Severodonetsk, where it took part in the liberation of the city.
In September 2022, the Akhmat special forces successfully repelled the offensive of the Ukrainian military near the village of Berestovoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
In 2023, the Akhmat unit was on a mission in the Donetsk and Artemovsk areas, controlled by Russia’s Yug (South) Battlegroup.
What is Akhmat's Current Task?
Alaudinov has, meanwhile, told reporters that the unit "has already adapted" to the deployment in the Kharkov region.
"The main task is to leave the area where you were earlier stationed and enter the positions that you should take over, as well as expand the communications network. All this has already been done. Our units are already engaged in assault operations in the area," he pointed out.
According to him, the Akhmat Special Forces have also taken over the areas that they needed to cover so that the enemy could not conduct sabotage and terrorist activities there.