Chechen leader Kadyrov admits high losses among own unit in Ukraine

The ruler of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has admitted to high losses in his own ranks - which are supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine - after an artillery shelling by Ukrainian troops.
"Twenty-three fighters have died and 58 have been injured," Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel late on Thursday. Ukrainian sources had reported earlier this week that a Chechen unit in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson had given away its location via photos on social networks, which led to it being hit by artillery fire.
Normally, Russian officials do not publish figures on their own casualties. In this case, Kadyrov may have been challenging the even higher figures given by the Ukrainian side.
The Chechen leader also called on his compatriots to be mobilized for the war in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the Russian war more than eight months ago, Kadyrov has distinguished himself as one of the fiercest supporters of the conflict and has also sent his own units into Ukraine.
He has regularly criticized the Russian army leadership - often in conjunction with the financier of the mercenary Wagner units, Yevgeny Prigozhin, for being too soft. Kadyrov has also called for the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has compared his country's fight against Russia with the Nazi resistance in World War II, saying Russia is pursuing the same goals as Nazism once did.
"The form of evil has changed, but the essence is unchanged," Zelensky said in a video message broadcast in Kiev on Thursday night. Russia, he said, had gone from neighbour to aggressor to terrorist - and was guilty of war crimes.