The commander of a Chechen special forces unit fighting for Russia in Ukraine has claimed that “LGBT” Ukrainian spies were responsible for hacking his unit before it suffered a major defeat.
At the beginning of May, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said Ukrainian intelligence officers had carried out a successful operation against the “Akhmat” commando unit. The agency claimed the operation resulted in some of the Chechen group’s heaviest losses since the start of the war.
The Intelligence Directorate also released secret recordings it said captured Akhmat unit commander Apti Alaudinov using homophobic language while criticising the quality of Russia’s armed forces.
Alaudinov claims the recordings are fake
In the recordings, Alaudinov allegedly said Russian artillery and tank crews “don’t know how to shoot properly”, and referred to Russian paratroopers using a homophobic slur.
Alaudinov has since claimed the recordings are fake and were created by Ukraine using artificial intelligence.
In a sarcastic video posted to Telegram, he appeared to mock the controversy.
“Today I was horrified to learn that, apparently, my meetings had been eavesdropped on for two months by Ichkerian and Ukrainian LGBT activists,” he said.
“I must say, you deserve an A+ for the work of your artificial intelligence. And, of course, for doing your LGBT work.”
“Ichkerian” refers to the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, a Chechen opposition movement whose fighters in Ukraine are fighting against Russia.
Chechnya’s record on LGBTQIA+ rights
Chechnya, an Islamic republic within the Russian Federation, has one of the most hostile environments for LGBTQIA+ people in the region.
The republic drew international condemnation after authorities were accused of kidnapping, detaining, and torturing gay men between 2017 and 2019.
While homosexuality remains technically legal in Russia, LGBTQIA+ people face severe repression through state policies, censorship, and anti-LGBTQIA+ laws.
Chechnya has taken an even harsher approach. The republic introduced Sharia law in 1999 and banned same-sex marriage in its Constitution in 2020.
Alaudinov’s comments have drawn further attention to how homophobic rhetoric is being used in Russian-aligned military circles, even as Ukraine continues to highlight divisions and weaknesses among forces fighting on Moscow’s side.
