The Motivations of Foreign Fighters: The Case of the Chechen Diaspora in Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to identify whether the custom of blood revenge is a motivation for the Chechen diaspora to act as foreign fighters in the war in Ukraine, 2022- present day. The custom of blood revenge is not unique to the Chechen society and has existed for centuries in communities across the world. For this reason, blood revenge as a motivation for foreign fighter participation should not be overlooked and could prove helpful when developing strategies of disengagement. The following research question, along with three objectives, was analysed: "What is the motivation for Chechen foreign fighters to fight against Russia in the war in Ukraine?". Alongside this research question were three objectives: A) What were the main pull factors for joining this conflict in particular? B) Are Chechen customary laws or 'Adats' a driving factor for mobilisation and if so, should researchers put more emphasis on blood revenge (Ch'ir) when discussing Chechen foreign fighters? C) What level of influence does the practice of blood revenge (Ch'ir) still hold in the diaspora's society today? This research was conducted using qualitative analysis of secondary sources in both English and Russian to provide diversity of sources and perspectives. Due to this topic being under researched, an...