Russia-Ukraine conflict: 23 killed, 58 injured in southern Kherson, says Vladimir Putin's ally Kadyrov

On Thursday (October 27), Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chenchen leader and a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, said that 23 soldiers had been killed and 58 others injured in an artillery attack by Ukraine this week.

Kadyrov claimed the instance happened in southern Kherson in a Telegram statement. He said, "All rescue operations at the site have been completed and there is a final list of dead and injured—23 soldiers were killed and 58 wounded."

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Chechnya is a province in southern Russia with a majority of Muslims in the region, which is headed by Kadyrov. The leader identifies himself as a foot soldier for the Russian president.

It has been nearly eight months since the conflict in Russia's Ukraine began. Thousands and thousands of soldiers from both sides have been killed. The recent instance adds to the Russian fatality toll.

The Moscow forces have rarely acknowledged battlefield defeats since the war began, and the Chenchen leader's remarks were unexpected.

He also admitted that he had deployed thousands of soldiers to participate in the conflict. Yes, our losses in the early hours that day were great, but Chechens are participating in jihad ... and if they are destined to fall in the holy war, it is an honour and a great joy for every true Muslim, he remarked.

He claimed that following the conflict, the Chechen soldiers killed nearly 70 Ukrainian soldiers.

(With inputs from agencies)

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