Putin’s Chechen Ally Threatens ‘Special Operation’ In Ukraine Within Days – Newsweek

A staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened that Ukraine will soon see "a real special operation."

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has backed Putin since Russia launched its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in late February.

Kadyrov has regularly posted videos calling on Ukrainian forces to surrender and claimed to be in Ukraine in some of them.

"One of these days, you will see a real special operation," he said in a video message posted online on Sunday, using Moscow's terminology to describe the assault on Ukraine.

He went on to describe Ukrainians as "shaitans," a term meaning devils or evil spirits in Islamic theology.

"It will be seen how these devils flee not only from these cities, but also from Ukraine," he said. "So we are preparing, and we will please the real patriots of Russia."

Russian forces will use "new tactics" in Ukraine in the coming days, Kadyrov added in a caption to the video, according to a Google translation of the Russian.

"More effective and faster results will be achieved in conducting a special operation," he added.

"As confirmation of my statements, I will upload video evidence of the destruction of the Nazis, devils and Ukrainian occupation equipment."

Kadyrov, who has faced multiple allegations of human rights abuses during his time as leader of the Chechen Republic, also issued a warning to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"I warn Zelensky for the last time!" he wrote. "Raise your hands and go out to the square with the words 'Don't shoot, folks, I surrender!' Otherwise, you are DEAD!"

Last week, Kadyrov said he was ready to attack Poland, saying the country "better take back" the weapons it had supplied to Ukraine to help fend off Russian forces.

"After Ukraine, if we're given the command, in six seconds we'll show you what we're capable of," he said.

Kadyrov's latest comments come after a report indicated that the power of Russian forces is in decline a hundred days into the invasion.

Meanwhile, British intelligence said Putin had achieved none of his strategic objectives after three months of war and its successes had been achieved at "significant" cost.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. will send Ukraine more advanced rocket systems and munitions to "defend their territory from Russian advances."

Biden added: "We will continue to lead the world in providing historic assistance to support Ukraine's fight for freedom."

In an interview on Sunday, Putin said his military will attack new targets if Ukraine is sent the long-range missiles.

"If it now comes to rockets and they are supplied, we will draw conclusions from that, and employ our weapons that we have in sufficient quantities to strike those facilities that we are not attacking so far," he said in an interview with Rossiya-1.

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Putin's Chechen Ally Threatens 'Special Operation' In Ukraine Within Days - Newsweek