Chechen commander promises ‘Heaven’ for fallen Russian conscripts, defends their deployment to Kursk region
In a bid to assuage concerned parents, Chechen special forces commander Apti Alaudinov has made a striking promise: conscripts fighting in the Kursk region will go to heaven if they die. The explosive statement comes as tensions rise in Russia, where the Ministry of Defense has urged parents to come to terms with the deployment of their sons to the front lines in Kursk, promising an eternal reward in the case of death, reports the news outlet Agentsvo.Novosti.
Alaudinov, leader of the "Akhmat" unit, posted a video on his Telegram channel Monday morning, in which he chastised parents who oppose their sons' involvement in the conflict. He questioned the necessity of these parents and their children to Russia if they were unwilling to fight. "In case of death, conscripts fighting in the Kursk region will go to heaven," assured Alaudinov.
"I've been observing this trend lately—outcries and objections suggesting that conscripts should not be fighting. And they ask, why are they even in the Kursk region? Friends, if your 18-year-old children who are already in the Ministry of Defense are not supposed to defend the fatherland—even when an enemy has attacked and is on our territory—then I have one question for you: what is the point of you and your children to this country?" Alaudinov's remarks on his Telegram channel said.
Alaudinov acknowledged only the complaints of parents unhappy with conscripts' pay rates, recommending that their children sign contracts for better compensation. "Yes, I understand if you say there are contract issues and low salaries. They can easily sign a contract and serve like others. We shouldn't turn 18-year-old male conscripts into children requiring mollycoddling. They are defenders of the fatherland, just like us. They need to be prepared for this," he added.
Alaudinov also addressed President Putin's earlier promise that conscripts would not partake in the war: "But today is war; an enemy has come. Today in our country, everyone—from the youngest to the oldest—must stand in formation. No one will die without fate's decree. But if you die defending your homeland and your faith in God, you will go to heaven. What could be better for a person than heaven on the path of the Almighty? Nothing!"
Following the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region, it was revealed that the border was guarded only by territorial defense, border guards, and a few military units, including conscripts. According to The Washington Post, over 250 conscripts ended up captured.
Despite President Putin's promise not to deploy conscripts to the war and parents' appeals to withdraw their sons from the conflict zone, conscripts stationed in the region were not relocated. On the contrary, conscripts from other regions started to be transferred to Kursk, leading to more parental complaints.