The leader of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, addresses the military as he makes a statement on the military conflict in Ukraine, in Grozny, Russia, February 25, 2022. REUTERS / Genghis Kondarov
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April 11 (Reuters) – Ramzan Kadyrov, the influential head of the Russian republic of Chechnya, said early Monday that there would be an offensive by Russian forces not only on the besieged port of Mariupol, but also against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
“There will be an offensive … not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, towns and villages,” Kadyrov said in a video posted on his Telegram channel.
“Lugansk and Donetsk – in the first place we will liberate completely … and then we will take Kyiv and all other cities.”
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Kadyrov, who is often described as a “pedestrian” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, said there should be no doubt about Kyiv.
“I assure you: not a single step back will be taken,” Kadyrov said.
Kadyrov has been repeatedly accused by the United States and the European Union of violating rights, which he denies.
Moscow has waged two wars with separatists in Chechnya, a predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. But since then, huge sums of money have been spent in the region to rebuild it, giving Kadyrov a great deal of autonomy.
The Kremlin described its actions in Ukraine as a “special operation” to demilitarize and “denationalize” its neighbor, and on Sunday Russia stepped up its attacks in eastern Ukraine. Read more
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Report by Lydia Kelly in Melbourne and Ronald Popeschi in Winnipeg; Writing by Lydia Kelly; Edited by Christopher Cushing and Stephen Coates
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