Ukraine has reportedly delivered a stunning deep-strike blow to one of Vladimir Putin’s most loyal commanders by successfully targeting the headquarters of Chechnya’s elite Akhmat special forces in a daring drone attack. Dramatic footage circulating on social media, appears to show a Ukrainian kamikaze drone plunging directly into the main building of the Sever-Akhmat Regiment compound in the Chechen city of Gudermes, resulting in a massive fireball that reportedly destroyed the structure.
This was quickly followed by a second strike hours later that is said to have wrecked a Federal Security Service (FSB) office in the nearby town of Achkhoy-Martan, blowing out windows and gutting the roof. These twin attacks, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, December 2, represent what is considered the deepest Ukrainian incursion yet into the North Caucasus republic, which is ruled by Ramzan Kadyrov.
Kadyrov is a feared warlord and an unwavering ally of Putin who has sent thousands of his fighters, known for their brutality, to the front lines and has repeatedly sworn personal vengeance against Kyiv.
Gudermes itself is situated more than 620 miles (1,000 kilometres) from Ukrainian-held territory. The strike on the Sever-Akhmat base—part of Russia’s 42nd Motor Rifle Division and named after Kadyrov’s late father, Akhmat—follows a pattern of escalating long-range raids.
It comes just weeks after a November drone hit on a Grozny garrison and an October strike on the Russian Special Forces University, which is also located in Gudermes. Analysts note that these repeated deep penetrations expose significant cracks in Russia’s air defences far from the front line.
Russia’s Defence Ministry has claimed that air defence systems shot down four Ukrainian drones over Chechnya overnight and insisted that the explosions and any reported damage in Gudermes were merely caused by falling debris from the intercepted Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
However, independent video evidence and eyewitness posts on social media appear to contradict this official claim, instead showing direct impacts and extensive damage to the military and security facilities.
Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the strikes, which is consistent with its policy of not publicly confirming sensitive sabotage missions conducted inside Russian territory.
Despite this, sources within the Ukrainian military have been quoted in media reports, describing the operation as a “precise hit on a high-value target.”
Ramzan Kadyrov, who presents his troops as Putin’s shock force, had not issued an immediate public comment on this latest humiliation, which is notable given his highly vocal nature following previous, less severe attacks.
The timing of the attacks is considered particularly embarrassing for the Kremlin, as the strikes occurred hours before a fresh round of US-Russia talks in Moscow involving Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, underlining Ukraine’s refusal to pause operations during diplomatic efforts.
The Akhmat units have been heavily engaged in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions of Ukraine and have faced numerous accusations of war crimes, including executing wounded Ukrainian prisoners and acting as “barrier troops” to shoot retreating Russian soldiers.
The Gudermes raid follows a separate Ukrainian intelligence operation last week that destroyed an Akhmat-controlled fuel-smuggling depot near occupied Berdyansk, further disrupting the Chechen units’ lucrative black-market earnings and striking at their logistical support.
Analysts suggest that the deep-strike operation risks severely straining Putin’s alliance with Kadyrov, whose personal loyalty has long been viewed as unshakeable, by demonstrating that Kadyrov cannot even secure his home territory.
