Military experts say Russia intentionally sent thousands of troops Chechen from the Republic of Chechnya to make fighters Ukraine trepidation.
An expert from the Janes defense intelligence agency, James Rands, said the presence of Chechen troops was believed to be able to add to the psychological terror of the Ukrainian fighters.
“Russia is so keen to show their (Chechen) videos. They upload videos of Chechen troops praying in the forest,” James said as quoted from iNews.
“Chechens have a different stature. They have thick beards with big bodies. They are not like the Slavs. They came (to Ukraine) with a reputation,” he added.
Chechens are known for their reputation for brutality in fighting rebels.
“Obviously this was a psychological operation. The Russians were very clear saying, ‘This is a unit that can scare people. We want you all to see that they are here (Ukraine)'” said James.
However, James assessed that Chechens do not have good specific capabilities in conventional wars like in Ukraine.
In fact, not a few Chechen troops were claimed to have died. The Ukrainian National Guard even claimed to have managed to break down a number of Chechen soldiers plotted to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Ukrainians even claimed to have killed one of the top officers of the elite Chechen forces in the war.
In addition to the presence of Chechens, thermobaric bombs were also called to frighten the Ukrainian fighters.
Vacuum bombs or thermobaric weapons work by sucking up the surrounding oxygen to produce a high-temperature explosion. Vacuum bombs come in a number of sizes, from rocket-propelled grenades for close combat, to large versions that can be launched from fighter jets.
The US used thermobaric bombs during Vietnam War 2 in 1955, while the Soviet Union used these weapons during the war in Afghanistan in 1979.
The explosive power of a thermobaric bomb is so powerful that it produces a plasma cloud that reaches temperatures between 2,500-3000 Celsius, and creates a high-temperature explosion that lasts longer than normal bombs.
(bin)
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