Russia-Ukraine war: 'TikTok' Chechen troops are ridiculed

Feared when they invaded Ukraine three months ago, pro-Russia Chechen fighters are now facing mockery for being more interested in uploading TikTok videos than fighting.

Videos of these fighters with their distinctive beards posing against the ruins of Mariupol, backslapping each other as they shoot at traffic lights and fooling around on stolen motorbikes litter the TikTok social media channel.

"This is the Chechen 'TikTok' battalion in Mariupol," the MilitaryLand.net blog wrote underneath a video of Chechen commanders strolling down a destroyed street. "Note how clean their uniforms are and their equipment is."

This interest in social media appears to be encouraged by the Chechen fighters' leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, who posts videos and long think-pieces daily about the glory of Russia and the supposed prowess of his soldiers.

Kadyrov was installed as Chechnya's leader in 2007 by Vladimir Putin, who wanted to ensure stability in the pseudo-state in Russia's turbulent North Caucasus. Residents have said Kadyrov rules through fear.

Russian and Chechen soldiers in a devastated Mariupol neighbourhood. Photo / Getty Images

As the war in Ukraine drags on into its fourth month and Chechen losses mount, Kadyrov has admitted that all is not going totally to plan. "Nato, the West, is arming [Ukraine]," he told a conference in Moscow this week. "Their mercenaries are there and that's why our state is having difficulties."

There has been no official death toll from officials but independent commentators say hundreds of Chechens have died.

President Vladimir Putin relied on Chechen soldiers to add "shock" value to his forces and even shared his invasion plans with Kadyrov, whose loose talk in the build-up tipped off Western intelligence about the impending war.

Now there are reports of tension between the allies with accusations that Chechen fighters have stood aside to let Russian soldiers take on the frontline fighting. This will be a personal blow to Kadyrov who has visited his forces in Ukraine.

Smoke rises from the Metallurgical Combine Azovstal in Mariupol during shelling. Photo / AP

The UK Ministry of Defence has said that despite their "TikTok" reputation, Chechen fighters are still useful to Putin in replenishing his depleted forces although their deployment throws up other problems.

"The combat deployment of such disparate personnel demonstrates Russia's significant resourcing problems in Ukraine and is likely contributing to a disunited command which continues to hamper Russia's operations," it said last week.