The forces in question, the so-called Special Rapid Reaction Unit Akhmat, are led by a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin: Chechen Ramzan Kadyrov. “It is known that a part of the station has recently been controlled by a Kadyrov gang… which has placed equipment and weapons directly in turbine rooms #1 and #2,” the National Resistance Center said in a statement. The center is a military organization designed to support and coordinate Ukrainian troops. On Wednesday, Chechen leader Kadyrov wrote in a Telegram post that his unit is located in Enerhodar, a town next to the Zaporizhia plant. He accused the Ukrainians of firing “indiscriminately at the coastline of Enerhodar, its industrial area and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.” Remember: The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear complex of its kind in Europe, was captured by Russian forces at the beginning of the war. In its statement, the National Resistance Center also claimed that “Russia is trying to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to its power system as soon as possible.” “The occupiers are hastily taking steps to convert the spent nuclear fuel storage system at ZNPP to Russian standards, as well as adapting all of ZNPP’s nuclear reactors to use Russian fuel assemblies,” the Center wrote. CNN cannot independently verify these claims. More context: The Chechen Republic is a region in the North Caucasus of Russia. Russian forces fought a brutal war for control of the territory in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. Kadyrov was once a rebel who fought against Russia before switching sides. During the Second Chechen War, which coincided with the rise of Putin, Kadyrov helped Moscow wrest control of the Chechen Republic from separatist rebels. Kadyrov has been accused by international and independent observers of gross human rights violations in his country and beyond. He leads significant paramilitary forces that – while officially part of the Russian security establishment – have personal loyalty to him.
