October 30, 2023

A Killer Gets Promoted?


A Killer Gets Promoted?
Ramzan Kadyrov and Ruslan Gereemev. Telegram channel of Adam Delimkhanov.

Ruslan Geremeyev, a former Interior Ministry officer suspected of orchestrating the assassination of Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, has been appointed commander of a new Chechen battalion, Sheikh Mansur. The announcement was made by Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, on his Telegram channel.

Adam Delimkhanov, a State Duma deputy from Chechnya, extended congratulations to Geremeyev on his appointment, hailing him as a "worthy representative of the team of the first president of the republic, Akhmat Kadyrov [Ramzan's father]." Delimkhanov also commended Geremeyev for his courage in executing assigned tasks.

Boris Nemtsov, a prominent opposition politician, was fatally and mysteriously shot on a Moscow bridge in 2015. During the investigation, several individuals with ties to Chechnya were detained in connection with the murder. Authorities sought to question Ruslan Geremeyev as well, given that his vehicle was observed on the bridge at the time of the assassination, and one of the detained Chechens confessed to receiving assistance from a Chechen native known as "Rusik" (a diminutive form of Ruslan) in planning the murder. Geremeyev was placed on the wanted list, but efforts to serve him a summons were unsuccessful, and he failed to appear in court. Ultimately, Ruslan Mukhudinov, Geremeyev's former driver, was officially designated as the mastermind behind the crime.

However, according to Vadim Prokhorov, the lawyer representing Nemtsov's family, Geremeyev was the actual instigator of the assassination. Prokhorov said that the officer is also closely related to Adam Delimkhanov, Senator from Chechnya Suleiman Geremeyev, and the current assistant to the head of the republic, Vakha Geremeyev.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Geremeyev became involved in combat operations as part of Chechen battalions. Kadyrov shared a video showing Geremeyev in Mariupol.

It is notable that the formation of a new Chechen battalion led by Ruslan Geremeyev has met with a less-than-enthusiastic response even from pro-war and "patriotic" circles. What appears to concern the public even more than the commander's history is the choice of the battalion's name. Sheikh Mansur, an Islamic preacher and leader of the people's liberation movement among North Caucasus mountaineers from 1785 to 1791, was a prominent figure in an anti-Russian resistance.

It is not coincidental that a Chechen unit bearing the same name is actively engaged in Ukraine on the side of the Ukrainians.

You Might Also Like

Show and Shell
  • October 26, 2023

Show and Shell

A convicted murderer and Wagner mercenary was invited to talk to Russian students.
From Saboteurs to Bureaucrats
  • October 25, 2023

From Saboteurs to Bureaucrats

Russian saboteurs who organized explosions in Europe have reportedly transitioned into official roles within Russian regions.
From Trenches to Schools
  • September 18, 2023

From Trenches to Schools

Russian soldiers returned from the war in Ukraine will give new practical courses on security and defense for schoolchildren.
  • June 14, 2023

"Go Defend Your Homeland"

In Chechnya, law enforcement uses threats and blackmail to send LGBT persons, drug users, and "disloyal" citizens to war.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955