Introduction
The past two weeks in the North Caucasus were relatively calm, with no major incidents reported. The republics are preparing for the upcoming elections in Russia, while pressure on Circassian activists continues. Here are the main developments from the past two weeks.
Adyghea
The Adygea regional branch of “Yunarmiya,” a youth organisation backed by the Russian Ministry of Defence to train future armed forces personnel, has been named after the Hero of the Soviet Union, Khusen Andrukhaev. A regional gathering of Yunarmiya, held in the city of Astrakhan, was attended by 150 members, who listened to lectures and took part in interactive games. The decision to name the branch after Khusen Andrukhaev is symbolic, as he was a Circassian poet who died during the Second World War.
Although Yunarmiya was established in 2015, its recruitment campaign intensified significantly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Enlisting local youth in ethnically non-Russian republics remains challenging, particularly in the North Caucasus. Consequently, the decision to name the branch after a Circassian poet represents an attempt to win the hearts and minds of the Circassian population and integrate them into state-sponsored patriotic initiatives.
Karachaevo-Cherkesia
A resident of Karachaevo-Cherkesia was detained on charges of high treason. According to the investigation, Aleksey Kaplunov was accused of collecting information about Russian prisoners recruited to fight, and of passing this information to the “Freedom of Russia Legion,” which fights alongside Ukrainian forces against Russia. The organisation has been designated as “terrorist” by the Russian authorities. Kaplunov faces a potential sentence of 25 years in prison.
Arrests on charges of high treason are relatively rare in the North Caucasus. Previously, a resident of Krasnodar, Denis Popov, received a similar sentence for passing information to the Ukrainian side about military vessels in the port of Novorossiysk. The rarity of such cases can be explained by the limited number of strategic military facilities in the North Caucasus that play a critical role in the war in Ukraine.
Kabardino-Balkaria
The head of Kabardino-Balkaria’s Human Rights Centre, Valeriy Khatazhukov, was detained for two hours and interrogated at Minvody Airport. Upon his arrival from Istanbul, Turkey, Khatazhukov was questioned about his contacts in Turkey, where he had undergone surgery and had been having cancer treatment. Questioning continued despite his having shown the border police his medical documents. The officers reportedly justified the interrogation by referring to the war in Ukraine. Khatazhukov plans to defend his rights and file a lawsuit against the border police.
Valeriy Khatazhukov is a well-known Circassian human rights activist. For decades, he has defended human rights in the republic and maintained close ties with Circassian activists. Recently, he defended the rights of Georgia-based Circassian poet Larisa Tuptsokova, against whom Russia opened a criminal case for her alleged cooperation with a terrorist organisation.
Khatazhukov’s visit to Turkey most likely attracted the attention of the Russian law enforcement authorities as Turkey is home to several hundred thousand Circassians, including many activists, and Russian security services are concerned about links between Circassians in their historical homeland and the diaspora. Turkey also hosts Circassian activists such as Martin Kochesoko, who fled Russia and actively advocates for Circassian independence.
Given the increased pressure on Circassian activists in Kabardino-Balkaria, it is unlikely that Khatazhukov’s detention will be properly investigated.
North Ossetia
North Ossetian activists have proposed the renovation of a 19th-century post office in the village of Balta, which will see it transformed into a museum dedicated to the Georgian Military Road. The post office was built in 1861, approximately 8 km from Vladikavkaz, near the banks of the Terek River. In the 19th century, the building served as an important hub for travellers travelling between Russia and Georgia. Many prominent figures, including the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, reportedly stayed at the post office. The building is currently abandoned and in poor condition.
The Georgian Military Road, connecting Russia with Georgia through North Ossetia, was developed in the 19th century during Russia’s conquest of the Caucasus. The strategic route played an important role in the deployment of troops to Georgia, and Russia’s further expansion southwards. Beyond its military significance, the road was also used by many prominent figures and became reflected in the region’s literature. A generation of Georgian writers associated with the Georgian national revival became known as the Tergdaleulebi, or “those who drank the water of the Terek,” referring to their journeys along the road to Russia. Lermontov, Dumas, and other prominent figures also wrote about the road. In this context, Ossetian activists are seeking to revive these historical memories and establish a museum dedicated to the Georgian Military Road.
Ingushetia
On 12 August, prominent Ingush writer and dissident Isa Kodzoev celebrated his 88th birthday. Born in the village of Angusht in the Prigorodny District, which is currently part of North Ossetia, he and his family were deported to Kazakhstan in 1944. His experiences of deportation were reflected in his novels, including ‘Kazakhstan Diaries.’ As a result of this work, Kodzoev was detained for four years and sent to labour camps.
Kodzoev also translated Russian and foreign classical literature into the Ingush language. During perestroika, he established the Niyskho movement, which advocated for the rights of the Ingush people. Throughout his career, he received numerous literary awards.
Isa Kodzoev, in addition to being one of the founders of modern Ingush literature, played a prominent role in fostering the consolidation of the Ingush people. He was a vocal advocate for the rights of the Ingush during the ethnic cleansing in the Prigorodny District in 1992. He also played an important role in Georgia–Ingushetia relations. Following the 9 April tragedy in Tbilisi, he and a group of Ingush activists visited the Georgian capital and condemned the atrocities committed by Soviet troops. In the late 2010s, Kodzoev was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi by then-Mayor Gigi Ugulava.
Chechnya
The Electoral Commission of Chechnya has registered three candidates for the position of Head of the Chechen Republic. In addition to the incumbent leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, the other two candidates are Ismail Delimkhanov, representing the Spravedlivaya Rossiya party, and Khalid Nakaev, a member of the Communist Party of Russia. The latter was also nominated as a candidate in the previous local elections in 2021, where he secured only 0.12% of the vote. Kadyrov himself was nominated by the ruling Yedinaya Rossiya party.
The last competitive elections in Chechnya were held in 1997, when the presidency of the unrecognised Chechen Republic of Ichkeria was contested by Shamil Basayev, Movladi Udugov, and Aslan Maskhadov, the latter of whom won the election. The results of the election were recognised by the OSCE. Since the establishment of Kadyrov’s administration, elections in Chechnya have become largely a formality, with candidates other than Kadyrov serving primarily nominal purposes and providing electoral statistics.
Dagestan
Police have seized 52 illegal cryptocurrency mining farms and 968 mining devices across Dagestan. Although cryptocurrency mining was banned in the republic in 2024 under Melikov’s administration, measures to address the misuse of electricity for mining were only introduced this year. Similar measures have also been implemented in other North Caucasian republics.
Illegal cryptocurrency mining remains a significant problem across the North Caucasus, contributing to electricity shortages. The region’s large number of hydropower plants makes the North Caucasus, particularly Dagestan, an attractive destination for cryptocurrency miners because of its relatively low electricity costs. Moreover, some local officials reportedly exploit preferential electricity tariffs available to residents of mountainous communities for cryptocurrency mining.
Similar patterns have been observed in occupied Abkhazia and in Georgia’s Mestia Municipality, where illegal cryptocurrency mining has also surged. Mestia Municipality, home to only around 14,000 people, reportedly consumes more electricity than the city of Kutaisi, Georgia’s second-largest city, which has roughly 130,000 residents.