Ruslan hayhoroev Chechen field commander Country: Russia

1. Biography of Ruslan Khaykhoroev
2. Leader of Separatist Battalion
3. Allegations and Accusations
4. Appointment and Federal Search
5. Involvement in the Kidnapping of Valentin Vlasov

Biography of Ruslan Khaykhoroev

Ruslan Khaykhoroev was a Chechen field commander and the leader of the defense of the village of Bamut during the First Chechen War. He was also a brigadier general. Before his involvement in the war, Khaykhoroev worked as a farmer in a state farm.

Leader of Separatist Battalion

Afterwards, Khaykhoroev led a separatist battalion that fought in the western part of Chechnya. He became known for his involvement in kidnapping people. He justified his actions by claiming that Russia owed Ichkeria a contribution, and since it was not being paid, the militants had to collect it in parts by kidnapping soldiers.

Allegations and Accusations

There have been allegations linking Khaykhoroev to the disappearance of journalists Maxim Shablin and Felix Titov from the newspaper "Nevskoye Vremya." He has also been accused of ordering two explosions in Moscow trolleybuses in July 1996, as well as the explosion of an intercity passenger bus in Nalchik in 1996.

Appointment and Federal Search

In the spring of 1998, the Military Council of the State Defense Committee of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria appointed Brigadier General Khaykhoroev to intensify large-scale military operations south of the Western frontiers of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Essentially, he was responsible for conducting sabotage actions in the "Mozdok - Vladikavkaz" direction, surrounding the conflict situation on the border between Ingushetia and Ossetia.

In April 1998, the Main Directorate of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office for the supervision of the laws on federal security and interethnic relations in the North Caucasus declared Khaykhoroev wanted. He was accused of kidnapping 24 citizens of North Ossetia, from whom he received a ransom of $1.7 million for 17 individuals. Additionally, Khaykhoroev expects to receive $1.5 million for two hostages - representatives of the international Orthodox center Penkovsky and Petrov.

Involvement in the Kidnapping of Valentin Vlasov

According to law enforcement agencies, Khaykhoroev was the organizer of the kidnapping of Valentin Vlasov, the authorized representative of the President of Russia in Chechnya, on May 1, 1998.