Chechen leader reports drone strike on military education center
The Russian Special Forces University (RUS) in the Chechen Republic has been targeted in a drone attack, according to the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Ukraine has launched hundreds of UAV attacks on various Russian regions throughout the past two years of the conflict with Moscow, although the incident on Tuesday morning would mark the first time a drone has reached the Chechen Republic.
In a statement on his official Telegram channel, Kadyrov reported that the attack was carried out at 6:30am and that the roof of the education center had caught fire.
He noted, however, that there was no one in the facility at the time of the incident and that no casualties or injuries have been reported. By 10am local time, Kadyrov stated that the fire had been extinguished at the center, which is named after Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Investigators are working to identify those responsible for the attack, he stated, adding that activities at the center have not been suspended and that it is “operating as usual.”
Kadyrov has also told journalists that retaliation for the incident will be carried out in the near future and in a way that those responsible “have never even dreamed of,” stressing that “we will not allow them to joke around with us.”
The attack comes as Ukraine has intensified its drone strikes on Russian territories in recent weeks. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Kiev has routinely launched UAV attacks deep into Russia, often targeting energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.
The RUS was founded in 2013 at the personal initiative of Kadyrov, and is the first and only private educational institution in the country to provide special forces training.
It is located in the city of Gudermes and represents a multifunctional complex of 95 buildings and structures. In addition to providing specialized training for special forces, it also offers courses in weapon handling, first aid, assault mountaineering, combat diving, martial arts, and parachuting, as well as training for bodyguards and military journalists.
Kadyrov previously stated that more than 47,000 fighters, including 19,000 volunteers, have undergone training at the center since the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.
