INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
start of the war, according to a report published Thursday by the SK SOS human rights organization."The invasion of Ukraine was another
opportunity for [Chechen leader] Ramzan Kadyrov to curry favor with Vladimir Putin and show his influence in Chechnya," SK SOS wrote.But
despite Kadyrov's efforts to rally support for the war in his region, "in reality, a year and a half of the war has looked completely
different for Chechnya: ridiculous propaganda, hunting for taxi drivers, missing passports, crowds of boastful marauders in Grozny, and
war, security forces have threatened to send these people or their relatives to the frontline, saying they will be sent to prison if they
refuse to serve, the report said.Individuals who were illegally held in notorious secret prisons in Chechnya because they were LGBT or
opposed the Chechen leadership were also recruited to join the military, the report said
About 45 of approximately 70 people who were illegally held in one such prison were sent to fight in Ukraine during the Kremlin's
"partial" mobilization campaign in the fall of 2022, SK SOS said.Chechen police also raided establishments where potential conscripts could
be found, including cafes, gaming clubs, gyms and taxi companies, following the launch of the "partial" mobilization, the report
rubles ($6,100) or even 700,00 rubles ($8,500) per month compared to the roughly 200,000 rubles ($2,438) paid to Russian contract
