Ramzan Kadyrov responded to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki's words that Chechnya "deserves independence." The head of the Russian region accused European countries of lacking support for the unrecognised Ichkeria during the first and second Chechen wars.

"Where were you when we fought for Ichkeria, when we defended[ed] the interests of independence? Why didn't European states, including Ukraine, support us [then], and why have you suddenly decided to support a non-existent state?" - Kadyrov said in his telegram channel.

Eight regions of the North Caucasus Federal District and the Southern Federal District had infant mortality rates in 2022 that exceeded the national average in Russia. Among these regions, Dagestan had the fourth highest rate.

NALCHIK -- The Baksan administration announced today that Ruslan Akhiev, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, has died in Ukraine. The authorities have confirmed that at least 52 people from Kabardino-Balkaria have died since the start of the war in Ukraine.

TBILISI -- A Georgian man killed five people including a police officer after opening fire from the balcony of a residential building, then turned his gun on himself, the Georgian interior ministry said on Friday.

The motive for the shooting in the town of Sagarejo, east of the capital Tbilisi, was not clear.

The death toll in Ukraine for soldiers from southern Russia has reached 1,200, according to reports from authorities.

The North Caucasus Federal District and Southern Federal District have reported 702 and 498 deaths respectively, with Dagestan having the highest number of casualties. By January 4, 1,150 residents of southern Russia have been informed of their loved ones' deaths in Ukraine, including 687 from the North Caucasus Federal District and 463 from the Southern Federal District.