Drone Attack Hits Grozny, Kadyrov Vows Retaliation

Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, was targeted by a drone attack early in the morning on Thursday, Dec. 12, according to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The drone was intercepted over the barracks of a special police regiment, he stated on Telegram.

"No one was seriously injured. Four guards sustained minor injuries. The on-duty personnel were in protected rooms at the time," Kadyrov wrote, attributing the attack to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The explosion damaged the roof and shattered windows, while falling debris sparked a fire that was quickly extinguished. Kadyrov described the incident as a "pathetic action" and said it only reinforced Chechnya’s resolve.

He threatened that a reserve force of 84,000 volunteers "was ready to deploy," vowing, "For these four wounded, we will take down 400 Ukrainian soldiers."

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that 16 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed overnight, including one in Chechnya, three in North Ossetia, four in the Kursk region, and eight over Crimea.

This is not the first drone strike in Grozny. Last Wednesday, Dec. 4, a Ukrainian drone hit the roof of the same police regiment’s barracks and a gas station, injuring civilians.

On Oct. 29, unknown drones attacked the Russian Special Forces University in Gudermes. The attack, which was the first recorded drone attack on Chechen territory, resulted in a minor fire.

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“As a result of the drone strike, the roof of an empty building on the grounds of the Russian Special Forces University caught fire. There were no casualties or injuries. The fire has been extinguished,” Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel.

Well-informed sources in Ukraine’s special services, speaking anonymously to Kyiv Post, confirmed the drone attack. However, they suggested that it was likely carried out by Dagestanis targeting Putin's Russian Special Forces University, adding that this could be “a continuation of a previous confrontation with Kadyrov's forces.”