Zapad-Akhmat Battalion — One of Chechnya’s Defence Ministry units
This profile provides key details about the Zapad-Akhmat Battalion, one of several “Chechen” units created within Russia’s Ministry of Defence. Created in summer 2022, it has participated in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Profile last updated: 9 May 2024
Key takeaways from the profile
- Zapad-Akhmat is one of four “Chechen” units within the Russian Defence Ministry created in mid-2022. It is constituted as a battalion; Vostok-Akhmat and Yug-Akhmat were likewise designated as battalions, whereas Sever-Akhmat was constituted as a regiment.
- The Zapad-Akhmat Battalion is subordinate to the 42nd Motorised Division, part of Russia’s 58th Army of the Southern Military District.
- It has deployed predominantly in Ukraine, but has also provided border security in Belgorod Oblast.
Overview
- What is the Zapad-Akhmat Battalion?
- Who is a member of the Zapad-Akhmat Battalion?
- Where does the Zapad-Akhmat Battalion operate?
- Other notable details
- Sources
What is the Zapad-Akhmat Battalion?
The Zapad-Akhmat Battalion is a “Chechen” unit within the Russian Ministry of Defence. It has been commanded since its creation by Ismail Aguyev.
Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov announced plans to create four such units — the Sever-Akhmat regiment and the Yug-Akhmat, Zapad-Akhmat, and Vostok-Akhmat battalions — on 26 June 2022 (Telegram, 2022). On 28 June, Kadyrov said that the process of forming Zapad-Akhmat and Vostok-Akhmat was already complete (Caucasian Knot, 2022).
Zapad-Akhmat is subordinate to the 42nd Motorised Division, which forms part of Russia’s 58th Army of the Russian Southern Military District (Caucasian Knot, 2022). Kavkaz Realii noted that it was unclear why Sever-Akhmat had been constituted as a regiment, when the other three Akhmat Ministry of Defence units had been designated as battalions (Kavkaz Realii, 2022).
Where is Zapad-Akhmat based?
The base of the Zapad-Akhmat Battalion is reportedly in Avtury, Shalinskiy Rayon, Chechnya (Telegram, 2022), but insufficient details are available to allow for geolocation.
Who is a member of the Zapad-Akhmat Battalion?
- Lieutenant-colonel Ismail Aguyev has commanded the battalion since its creation (Kavkaz Realii, 2023; Telegram, 2022; Telegram, 2023).
- Abdulrakhman Isayev is a company commander (Telegram, 2022).
- Saslambek Aguyev is an identified rank-and-file member of the unit (Kavkaz Realii, 2022).
When the unit was created, Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov stated it would be comprised exclusively of Chechen fighters (Telegram, 2022).
Kadyrov has reported that the unit has also operated under the direct command of Rustam Aguyev, Ismail’s brother and head of the Interior Ministry for Kurchaloyevskiy Rayon (Telegram, 2023; Telegram, 2023).
Members of Zapad-Akhmat reported killed
Date | Name | Rank | Place of origin | Location killed | Source |
August 2022 | Said-Magomed (surname unknown) | Unknown | Kurchaloy, Chechnya | Unknown | |
20 January 2023* | Islam Usmanovich Edilsultanov | Unknown | Chechnya | Unknown | |
23 January 2023* | Rizvan Nuridovich Osmanov | Unknown | Chechnya | Unknown |
* Date reported; date of actual death unknown
Gallery of Zapad-Akhmat members
Where does the Zapad-Akhmat Battalion operate?
Ukraine
The following table details the activities of the unit, as reported by the Chechen authorities, the unit itself, or other pro-Russian sources. These constitute an admission of the unit’s involvement in specific parts of Russia’s broader aggression in Ukraine:
Date | Area of operation | Details |
September 2022 | Donbass | Kadyrov reported on 16 September 2022 that both Zapad-Akhmat and Vostok-Akhmat had deployed to the Donbass (Telegram, 2022). |
October 2022 | unspecified location, Ukraine | Kadyrov reported that his sons Eli, Akhmat, and Adam had travelled to Ukraine, where they were photographed with fighters from Zapad-Akhmat (Caucasian Knot, 2022). |
November 2022 | Popasnyy, Mariupol and Lisichansk, Ukraine | Kadyrov reported on 27 November 2022 that Sever-Akhmat Regiment and Zapad-Akhmat Battalion had managed to clear these areas of Ukrainian forces. Kadyrov stated that the commanders of both units had met with Chechen parliamentary speaker Magomed Daudov and Abuzayd Vismuradov, Chechen Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the security block, on the territory of the “special military operation” (Telegram, 2022). |
December 2022 | Zaporizhzhia Oblast | Kadyrov claimed the Akhmat Kadyrov foundation had delivered “humanitarian aid” to fighters from Yug-Akhmat, Sever-Akhmat, and Zapad-Akhmat (Chechnya Today, 2022). |
January 2023 | Marinskiy front | Kadyrov reported that State Duma Deputy for Chechnya Adam Delimkhanov, Rustam Aguyev, Ismail Aguyev, Sever-Akhmat commander Zayndi Zingiyev and Sever-Akhmat deputy commander Khaseyn Muduyev had all met to discuss operations (Telegram, 2023). Kadyrov also reported that Zapad-Akhmat was operating alongside the Batalkhadzhinsky rapid reaction detachment, an Ingush unit created within Akhmat spetsnaz in November 2022 (Telegram, 2023). |
February 2023 | Zaporizhzhia Oblast | Kadyrov claimed that Sever-Akhmat, Yug-Akhmat, Vostok-Akhmat, and Zapad-Akhmat had all received “humanitarian” supplies from the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation (Telegram, 2023). |
June 2023 | Zaporizhzhia Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Russia’s 58th Army — including units from the regiments Akhmat-Rossiya, Akhmat-Chechnya and Sever-Akhmat and the battalions Vostok-Akhmat, Yug-Akhmat and Zapad-Akhmat — had destroyed a large number of Ukrainian tanks participating in a counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast (ChGTRK Groznyy, 2023). |
July 2023 | Odnorobivka, Kharkiv Oblast | Kadyrov claimed that troops under the command of Rustam Aguyev and Gayrbek Delimkhanov, head of the Chechen Interior Ministry branches for Kurchaloyevskiy and Shatoyskiy Rayon respectively, had together with Zapad-Akhmat destroyed an arms cache belonging to the Ukrainian military (Telegram, 2023). |
August 2023 | The Ukrainian side of the border crossing at Nekhoteyevka, Belgorod Oblast | Kadyrov claimed that Zapad-Akhmat had carried out a strike on the customs post on the Ukrainian side of the border (Telegram, 2023). |
October 2023 | near Morozova Dolyna, Kharkiv Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhma, operating under the command of Rustam Aguyev, had carried out an artillery strike on Ukrainian units (Telegram, 2023). |
November 2023 | Perovske, Kharkiv Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhma, operating under the command of Rustam Aguyev, had carried out an artillery strike on Ukrainian units (Telegram, 2023). |
December 2023 | Udy, Kharkiv Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhmat had carried out a joint operation with the Yamal detachment from Belgorod (Telegram, 2023). |
January 2024 | Chervona Zorya, Kharkiv Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Rustam Aguyev, Vedenskiy Rayon Interior Ministry head Abubakar Borshigov and Zapad-Akhmat had carried out an operation near the village (Telegram, 2024). |
February 2024 | Kharkiv front | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhmat had carried out an air strike on a Ukrainian military unit (Telegram, 2024). |
March 2024 | Kharkiv front | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhmat and the Kaskad drone unit had discovered a Ukrainian military deployment (Telegram, 2024). |
March 2024 | Orlivka, Kharkiv Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhmat had carried out an artillery strike (Telegram, 2024). |
Russia
In June 2023, Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhmat had deployed to Belgorod Oblast to prevent diversions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine and provide border security. The move followed incursions by the Russian Volunteer Corp and Free Russia, both of which are fighting with Ukraine against the Russian regime. The deployment followed talks between Delimkhanov, Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, and representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the local branch of the National Guard (Caucasian Knot, 2023; Caucasian Knot, 2023).
Date | Area of operation | Details |
June 2023 | Belgorod Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhmat had deployed to Belgorod Oblast to prevent diversions (Caucasian Knot, 2023). |
October 2023 | Belgorod Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhmat continued to provide border security in Belgorod Oblast (Telegram, 2023). |
January 2024 | Belgorod Oblast | Kadyrov reported that Zapad-Akhmat continued to provide border security in Belgorod Oblast (Telegram, 2024). |
Other notable details
Noteworthy incidents and events
Aguyev was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in April 2023 and awarded the Hero of Chechnya medal in October 2023 for his services in Ukraine (Telegram, 2023; Argumenty i Fakty Stavropol, 2023).
International response
Neither Zapad-Akhmat nor Aguyev have been sanctioned by the US, the UK, the EU, or Ukraine, despite their extensive involvement in Russia’s “special military operation.”