‘Jihad mobiles’ sent to Donbass – Chechen leader
Russian troops in Donbass will soon receive a batch of so-called ‘jihad mobiles’ from the Chechen Republic, the region’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has announced.
In a statement on Friday, Kadyrov said that the Chechen units fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) would be able to use the 15 high-tech vehicles, which he said had been manufactured at the local Chechenauto plant.
He also released a video showing the trucks, which are equipped with turrets for mounting heavy weapons such as machine guns or anti-tank guided missiles, lined up in a square.
In recent months, numerous battlefield videos showed that such trucks armed with machine guns have been often used to repel Ukrainian drone strikes.
The word jihad refers to the Islamic term for righteous struggle, and while the notion is not limited to warfare, it is often understood as a “holy war.”
Kadyrov touted the brand-new trucks as “being of the highest quality.” “Production process has been designed in accordance with modern standards, as well as the real-life experience of our soldiers operating in challenging conditions. Every detail has been carefully considered to ensure the vehicles are as efficient, reliable, and safe as possible,” he said.
Commenting on the transfer, Ahmed Dudaev, Chechnya’s minister for national policy, exterior communication, and media, said he was certain the trucks would help the Russian military “who are engaged in an uncompromising struggle against Satanism.”
All the vehicles, which were produced in collaboration with the Russian car company GAZ, also carried the Russian tricolor and flags of the All-Russian Popular Front, a political coalition that has served as a link between the ruling United Russia party and non-governmental organizations. The group has also been active in raising funds to support Russian servicemen at the front.
On the same day, Kadyrov also said that yet another group of Russian volunteers had left Chechnya for the frontline, adding that each of them had received expert training and the necessary equipment.
The first batch of 100 ‘jihad mobiles’ was handed over to the military by Chechen authorities in October, with Kadyrov saying at the time that the vehicles incorporated certain recommendations made by frontline troops.
