The Secretary of State said war crimes are being committed by Russia. The second Chechen war, launched by Moscow in 1999, elevated the stature of Russia's new and then little-known prime minister, a former intelligence officer named Vladimir Putin. The brutal campaign was intended to bring the Islamic region back under the control of the Kremlin, which was seen by many as a fading nuclear power. Putin said at the time that the bandits would be destroyed, in an echo of how he would talk about the Nazis. It seemed as if the past had caught up with the present when Ramzan Kadyrov announced that he was in Ukraine to support Putin. Even though Kadyrov claimed on social media that he was close to the capital, he may have been just a publicity stunt. Russia expert Michael Weiss told Yahoo News that Kadyrov is a psychopath who tortures his political prisoners. The presence of Kadyrov's soldiers in Ukraine could signal a new phase of fighting, one in which the rules of conventional warfare are discarded as Putin becomes more desperate for victory. Chechnya is ruled by Kadyrov under Putin's supervision. If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is the conflict's leading man, Kadyrov is the more colorful counterpart to Putin, given to brandishing a golden gun and trotting out a pet tiger. Kadyrov engaged in a social media feud with Musk even as he was preparing for war. His cartoonish demeanor hides a deep lust for power and a penchant for violence. Chechnya has struggled to free itself from Russia for hundreds of years, and Kadyrov's paramilitary outfit works to suppress any rebellion. Kadyrov essentially guarantees he will retain the Kremlin's support by doing Putin's bidding, which has included hunting down opponents in Istanbul and Berlin. The Russian military is facing a critical lack of manpower. He told Yahoo News that Kadyrovites are an essential asset to the Russian military. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that the Biden administration could not confirm the presence of Chechen fighters. There have been battlefield reports and social media posts where a kind of meta- battle is being waged for world opinion. The Kremlin did not hype Kadyrov's role and challenged his claim that he was on the outskirts of Kyiv. The Kremlin doesn't have many allies to turn to. Ben Friedman, policy director at the Washington, D.C., think tank Defense Priorities, says that Russia's scrounging for troops in Chechnya and beyond is probably a sign of how poorly the war has gone for them. Russia's poorly trained conscripts have been repelled multiple times since Putin launched an invasion last month. With the United States and other nations continuing to supply weapons to Kyiv, Russia could be coming dangerously close to defeat, potentially leaving it to rely on the kind of grueling warfare that allowed Putin to declare victory in Chechnya two decades ago. Russian President Boris Yeltsin launched a disastrous invasion of Chechnya in 1994 in order to keep the small, oil-rich republic from gaining independence. Hundreds of Russian soldiers were killed in the battle for Grozny, the Chechen capital, as Chechnya mounted a furious defense. Chechnya achieved a measure of independence and peace after the Russian army retreated. Putin could be trying to frighten the Ukrainians with stereotypes about Chechens fighting prowess. After a series of apartment bombings in Moscow and elsewhere that were blamed on Chechens, but were likely carried out by Kremlin security services, Putin started a second Chechen war. The Kadyrov family was given power over the Chechen populace in exchange for their loyalty. They have used that power to their advantage when it comes to the nation's gay and lesbian population. Human Rights Watch found that dissidents could face almost medieval retribution. They attached wires to my toes and kept cranking the handle. I couldn't bear it, I was named in the report as a survivor of Kadyrov's torture. The conflict that has already led President Biden to call Putin a war criminal would only get worse if such methods were brought to Ukraine. Kadyrov said earlier this week that he was ready to fight and was a supporter of Putin. A Ukrainian news outlet determined that Kadyrov's announcement had actually come from Chechnya. The Chechens are accused of trying to assassinate Zelensky. Should Russia fail to take Kyiv and other large cities, their role could be expanded. If Kadyrov's forces are asked to target civilians, they will do it, says Jean-Francois Ratelle, an expert on the Chechen wars. Ratelle said that Putin could use Chechens to shoot Russian conscripts. During World War II, Joseph Stalin ordered Red Army frontline soldiers to shoot anyone who tried to flee from the Germans. The war crimes in Ukraine appear to have been committed by Russians at the direction of the Kremlin. Experts on Chechnya worry that Kadyrov could become more involved in the conflict. Reports that Putin was recruiting fighters in Syria, where Russia helped bolster the regime of Assad, were another development that pointed to an increase. If the second Chechen war solidified Putin's grip on Russia, the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine could prove to be his undoing, especially if he looks to Kadyrov for the cruelly unconventional. Kadyrov's support for the war in Ukraine is seen by others as a desperate attempt to frighten Ukrainians with racist stereotypes about Muslim Chechens. While Kadyrov is loyal to Putin, his father was assassinated by Chechen rebels in 2004, and other Chechens don't like the strongman. A dissident Chechen commander said last month that real Chechens are defending Ukraine. The White House says that regime change is not US policy. At the end of the second week of March, the IRS has processed more returns than it did a year ago. Add some Washington Wizards loyalty to your look with this hoodie jacket. The lining is warm and stylish. Maren Morris was shamed for posing topless for Playboy. Russia's war in Ukraine hasn't hurt global markets as much as was feared. branding is absolutely safe if it is done by an experienced, professional artist. The facial tumors grew large and painful. She had surgery that changed her life. South Carolina legalized firing-squad executions last year after a decade-long pause in carrying out death sentences. The agency that runs the death chamber in Columbia said Friday that it was able to carry out a firing-squad execution after renovations were completed. Lawmakers are trying to get around the lethal injection drug situation. Russia said on Saturday that it had destroyed a large weapons depot in western Ivano-Frankivsk region. Russia deployed the hypersonic Kinzhal system for the first time since sending troops into Ukraine, according to the Interfax news agency. The underground depot hit by the Kinzhal system on Friday housed Ukrainian missiles, according to a recording of a Defence ministry spokesman's presentation. In deep-blue Broward County, throngs of former President Donald Trump's supporters went to the edge of the Everglades to see America's 45th president speak at the latest stop of the American Freedom Tour. Get top results for what you need quickly. Only on Yahoo. The city of Kyiv is over 300 square miles and divided by a river. Many of the structures are on narrow, winding streets. Approximately 2 million people remain after being evacuated. To the northwest and to the east, tens of thousands of Russian troops are pressing toward the city, backed by columns of tanks and armored vehicles. Ukrainian sold inside Kyiv. Donald Trump's presidential campaign has been ordered to pay more than $300,000 in legal fees and expenses to a former employee who accused Trump of forcibly kissing her. The latest instance of Trump failing to use a non-disclosure agreement successfully against an ex-worker is the award. The resolution of the claim. The last episode of "Flip or Flop" aired Thursday night. This all-natural sleep patch is changing the way we sleep. Prepare to win the day and wake up refreshed. The signs are abundant of how Ukraine was frustrated by Vladimir Putin and how Russia's military was not ready for the fight. Russia has lost hundreds of tanks, many left charred or abandoned along the roads, and its death toll is on a pace to surpass that of the country's previous military campaigns. Military analysts say that Russian forces can fight on for whatever the Russian president decides to do, even if it means using a negotiated settlement or brute destruction. A group of Ukrainians were escorted across the border after they flashed their passports while trying to enter the U.S. on Friday. The scene reflected a shift in the treatment of Russians and Ukrainians who enter Mexico as tourists and then try to enter the U.S. for a chance at asylum. The Russians were at the busiest U.S border crossing with Mexico for several days after the city of Tijuana urged them to leave. Three college swimmers who were beaten by Lia Thomas posed together on a single podium step, fueling the controversy over her eligibility to compete in elite women's competition. The best home equity and cash out refinance rates are 2.3%. View rates and calculate payment. 30 Year terms. You can view rates now. In a new photo, Lipa wore extremely low-rise pants and a red bodysuit. Ojabo was considered a possible top 10 pick before an injury. The site of some of the war's greatest suffering is the besieged port city of Mariupol. The Azovstal steel plant is one of the biggest in Europe and Ukrainian officials say their forces are battling the Russians over it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him for direct talks after accusing the Kremlin of creating a humanitarian catastrophe. You can find furniture at prices that fit your budget. On Wednesday, the White House announced a new $800 million military support package for the country of Ukraine. One of only two Black women ever to serve in the Senate was VP Kamala Harris, who was able to cast the tie-breaking vote. As people flee Hong Kong, what is happening to their pets?Eva Sit, Hong Kong Dog Rescue said that they have definitely seen an increase in the amount of dog owners abandoning their dogs. She has taken care of them since they were puppies. Qantas Airways suspended pet transfers at the start of the year, leaving her owner separated. When we found out that Remi wasn't getting on the plane on the 9th of January, it was really sad because we hadn't seen her in months. When her mother developed advanced Alzheimer's, she had to make a difficult choice: leave Remi behind or let her go. I know my situation very well. I have a dad who just had a hip replacement and a mother who doesn't recognize me anymore. I had to return for this. My parents and my dog are part of my family. We don't know everything that's going on. While there are no official figures on how many pets are being abandoned,Pet Export Vet - a pet travel agency - said it received three to four times more inquiries in the past two to three months. How many intend to return is not known._____
What happened this week in Ukraine? Check out this explainer from Yahoo Immersive to find out.