Chechen official denies Adam Kadyrov formed a separate armed unit

Chechen Deputy Prime Minister Ilman Vakhidov told RIA Novosti that regional Security Council Secretary Adam Kadyrov had not created a separate armed unit.

The denial followed reports about a group called Team K-13. Those reports cited a social media photograph showing Kadyrov alongside young men carrying weapons.

Vakhidov said the account used as a source for the photograph was unofficial. He also said Chechnya's law enforcement agencies and government bodies had no verified Instagram accounts.

He suggested that the page was run by a private individual posting material about the republic.