Chechnya President

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov on Tuesday inspected Chechen troops and volunteers readying to fight Ukraine, the Kremlin said, in what was Putin's first trip in 13 years to the North Caucasus republic.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the ally of President Vladimir Putin who leads Chechnya, said on Sunday that he one day planned to set up his own private military company in the style of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group of mercenaries.

Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised "the whole truth" about accusations of a crackdown on gay men in Chechnya, as the French president said he would be "vigilant" on the issue.

Russia's ruling United Russia party on Sunday cruised to an easy victory in parliamentary polls that could pave the way for President Vladimir Putin to glide to a fourth term in 2018 elections, partial results showed.

US President Barack Obama spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the wake of the twin bombings in Boston early this week, in which the two suspects are said to be from the Russian part of Chechnya.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday replaced Russia's top general with a veteran commander from the second Chechnya war, as part of a new shake-up in the armed forces after the sacking of the Defence Minister.

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Hilary Swank have come under fire from human rights groups for attending Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's lavish Oct 5 birthday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov on Tuesday inspected Chechen troops and volunteers readying to fight Ukraine, the Kremlin said, in what was Putin's first trip in 13 years to the North Caucasus republic.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the ally of President Vladimir Putin who leads Chechnya, said on Sunday that he one day planned to set up his own private military company in the style of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group of mercenaries.

Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised "the whole truth" about accusations of a crackdown on gay men in Chechnya, as the French president said he would be "vigilant" on the issue.

Russia's ruling United Russia party on Sunday cruised to an easy victory in parliamentary polls that could pave the way for President Vladimir Putin to glide to a fourth term in 2018 elections, partial results showed.

US President Barack Obama spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the wake of the twin bombings in Boston early this week, in which the two suspects are said to be from the Russian part of Chechnya.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday replaced Russia's top general with a veteran commander from the second Chechnya war, as part of a new shake-up in the armed forces after the sacking of the Defence Minister.

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Hilary Swank have come under fire from human rights groups for attending Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's lavish Oct 5 birthday.