Alexander Cherkasov , head of Russia 's leading human rights group Memorial , is convinced that the " Igor Strelkov " involved in Ukraine is the same person as a Russian military officer called " Strelkov " , who was identified as being directly responsible for at least six instances ( on four separate occasions ) of the forced disappearance and presumed murder of residents of Chechnya 's mountain Vedensky District village of Khatuni and nearby settlements of Makhkety and Tevzeni in 20012002 , when " Strelkov " was attached to the 45th Detached Reconnaissance Regiment special forces unit of the Russian Airborne Troops based near Khatuni . None of these crimes were solved by official investigations . The website of Chechnya 's official human rights ombudsman lists several residents of Khatuni who went missing in 2001 ( Beslan Durtayev and Supyan Tashayev ) as having been kidnapped from their homes and taken to the 45th DRR base by the officers known as " Colonel Proskuryn and Strelkov Igor " ; another entry lists the missing person Beslan Taramov as abducted in 2001 in the village of Elistandzhi by the 45th DRR servicemen led by " Igor Strelko ( nicknamed Strikal ) " . Cherkasov too lists Durtayev and Tashayev ( but not Taramov ) among the alleged victims of " Strelkov " . Cherkasov and other observers suspected it was in fact the same " Strelkov " until May 2014 , when Strelkov himself confirmed he has been present at Khatuni in 2001 , where he fought against the " local population " . According to Cherkasov , as a result of Strelkov 's actions in Chechnya , two sisters of one of those " disappeared " , Uvais Nagayev , in effect turned to terrorism and died three years later : one of these sisters , Aminat Nagayeva , blew herself up in the 2004 Russian aircraft bombings over the Tula Oblast aboard a Tu-134 " Volga-Aeroexpress " airliner , killing 43 ; the other sister , Rosa Nagayeva , participated in the Beslan hostage crisis that same year
2004 Russian aircraft bombings
2004 Russian aircraft bombings
Igor Strelkov (officer)