A personal Rosgvardia battalion created for Adam Kadyrov, son of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, has remained stationed in Grozny and not participated in combat since its formation in 2023, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported.
The battalion named after Baysangur Benoevsky was formed in 2023 for the war with Ukraine but has spent almost all its time in Grozny without taking part in battles, the outlet found. At the same time, Chechnya also created a Defense Ministry battalion named after Sheikh Mansur. Service conditions in the two units initially differed: the Defense Ministry battalion recruited anyone without restrictions on age, health or criminal record, while candidates for the Rosgvardia battalion were strictly selected by age and education. The latter received several hectares in central Grozny, new barracks, weapons, a vehicle fleet and its own training grounds — its equipment significantly surpasses the material base of Chechen Defense Ministry units.
The battalion's commander is Bekhan Chalaev, the younger brother of Zhamid Chalaev, a security official close to Ramzan Kadyrov. The unit is overseen by Adam Kadyrov: he regularly visits the fighters, is friends with the commander, and all battalion vehicles carry license plates reading 'DUSTUM 95' — the call sign of the Chechen leader's son, which his father previously used.
In November 2023, Ramzan Kadyrov announced that both units were ready to deploy to Ukraine. The Sheikh Mansur battalion was on the front line by December of that year and has been continuously involved in combat since. The Baysangur Benoevsky battalion remained in Chechnya. Journalists found records of only two trips to the front. In spring 2024, a group of 20 people led by Bekhan Chalaev went to the Zaporizhzhia region — there is no confirmation of their participation in battles. In August 2025, battalion servicemen again visited the combat zone, this time without their commander. After November 2023, Ramzan Kadyrov has not reported on the unit's involvement in battles or plans to send it to the front.
Battalion servicemen signed contracts for a year or more and received a federal payment of 195,000 rubles. Such payments were intended for those who enlisted to participate in the war and were not given to those who remained at their permanent deployment location.
Adam Kadyrov is a twice Hero of Chechnya. In mid-June he received the title for the second time from his father. The first title came after he beat Nikita Zhuravel, who was arrested for burning the Quran, in a Grozny detention center in 2023. Kadyrov Jr. is now 18, holds several positions in government and military structures, including head of the Chechen leader's security service, and has received more than 20 awards since the start of the war.