Chechen servicemen defect to Ukraine
Two servicemen from Chechnya, with the support of the SBU, defected to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They decided to serve in the Sheikh Mansur Battalion, which is fighting for Ukraine.
 
As reported by the Ukrainian TV channel "TSN", one of those who defected was a 45-year-old contract soldier named Abdullah. He said that the Chechen police forced him to sign a contract through torture and beatings. Then the man was sent to the territory of the Luhansk region.
 
The second serviceman, a 23-year-old resident of Chechnya named Seyfullakh, said that from the moment the contract was signed, he intended to defect to Ukraine and fight against Russia. Before that, under the guise of filming a video for his fellow servicemen from the Russian army, he transmitted information to the Ukrainian side about the positions of the Russian Armed Forces, the time and routes of the offensive. Saifullakh was listed as a rifleman of the 242nd Motorized Rifle Guards Regiment.
 
Let us recall that several Chechen units are fighting for Ukraine. Among them are a separate special purpose battalion (OBON) as part of the foreign legion, as well as the Sheikh Mansur and Dzhokhar Dudayev battalions.
Последние новости
Reporters Without Borders condemns forced detention of Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief
Human rights
Reporters Without Borders condemns forced detention of Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief
17 October 2026

Sergei Sokolov was taken to Russia’s Investigative Committee and held in the building for around three hours, despite having been officially summoned for questioning as a witness. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the incident as a new stage in the pressure on one of Russia’s last independent media outlets.
Shchukin: Over 3 Billion Rubles Paid to Flood Victims in Dagestan
Society
Shchukin: Over 3 Billion Rubles Paid to Flood Victims in Dagestan
16 October 2026

More than 3 billion rubles have been paid out to residents of Dagestan affected by spring floods. Fyodor Shchukin announced this on October 15 while speaking at a session of the republic’s People’s Assembly. On the same day, deputies elected him as the head of the region, following which he took the oath of office and assumed his duties.
Court upholds sentences for four Crimean Tatars in ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir’ case
Human rights
Court upholds sentences for four Crimean Tatars in ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir’ case
16 October 2026

A Russian military appellate court has rejected the appeals of four Crimean Tatars—Nariman Ametov, Ali Mamutov, Vokhid Mustafayev, and Enver Khalilyayev—who were convicted of involvement with the organization ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir.’ The sentences handed down by the Southern District Military Court on May 21, 2026, remain unchanged. According to the TASS news agency, citing court sources, the individuals—part of what is known as the "third Dzhankoy group"—were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 14 to 15 years.
Six more individuals involved in the case concerning the storming of the presidential residence have been released in Georgia
Human rights
Six more individuals involved in the case concerning the storming of the presidential residence have been released in Georgia
16 October 2026

Six people convicted in connection with the events of October 4, 2025, in Tbilisi have been set free following the conclusion of plea agreements with the prosecutor's office. This was reported on October 16 by the television channel TV Pirveli.