Drunken soldiers endanger civilians in ChechnyaRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus – During the celebrations of Victory Day, May 9, many Russian soldiers consumed too much alcohol, which in some cases proved tragic for Chechen civilians.
On May 9 a drunken patrol in Argun, east of the capital Grozny, shot dead a 53-year-old resident of the town. The victim, who was returning from his relatives, allegedly breached the curfew. However, that was only to come in fifteen minutes.
Next day an accident took place on the Staropromyslovsky road in Grozny. An UAZ car, driven by drunken servicemen, crashed into a minibus with fourteen people inside, which was heading for Ingushetia. As a result, two women died and several people were transported to Grozny’s hospitals in critical condition. Having investigated the incident, members of the Chechen road patrol (GAI) came to the conclusion it was the UAZ car driver who was responsible for the accident. However, they could not detain him because Russian soldiers who came to the place prevented them from doing so.
Fearing to meet drunken soldiers, many people living in Grozny preferred staying at home on Victory Day. Besides, there was no regular bus connection between Chechnya and Ingushetia on that day. People who recently came to Ingushetia from Grozny claim soldiers at checkpoints were heavily drunk.
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