On 18 April, Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, condemned the detention of Alikhan Tsakayev, the head of the Chechen Emergencies Ministry, in Dagestan, describing it as a provocation.

It should be noted that according to the Russian media, the Chechen minister was driving drunk. It is reported that he attempted to run over Dagestani police officers with his own car, after which he was stopped and detained. However, this did not prevent Ramzan Kadyrov from standing up in defence of his minister.

Kadyrov described the incident, which took place at the Gerzel checkpoint on the border between Chechnya and Dagestan, as a 'shameful provocation' against Tsakayev. According to Kadyrov, individuals who have been identified attempted to detain Tsakayev in a disrespectful manner without explanation, although he had not committed any serious violations. Kadyrov emphasised that Tsakayev did not have his official documents or uniform at the time, as he was on his day off. Kadyrov suggested that Tsakayev's lack of uniform may have triggered the incident at the checkpoint. However, when the attackers realised Tsakayev's rank and military honours, they dispersed.

Kadyrov expressed his rejection of such behaviour by law enforcement officers and called for their removal from their positions. He urged the leadership of Dagestan to investigate the incident and take appropriate action against those responsible at the Gerzel checkpoint. Kadyrov stressed the importance of maintaining strong relations between Chechnya and Dagestan and warned against the negative impact of such incidents on their cooperation efforts.

On 19 April, Sergey Melikov, the head of Dagestan, addressed the incident involving the detention of a drunk Chechen minister by Dagestani police officers at the Gerzel checkpoint.

He emphasised the need for a thorough analysis of the incident and stressed that it should not affect fraternal relations between the Chechen and Dagestani peoples. Melikov urged against an escalation of tensions over the incident. While acknowledging that the incident took place at a federal checkpoint outside Dagestan's jurisdiction, Melikov stressed his commitment to upholding the reputation of Dagestani Interior Ministry officers.

In response to Ramzan Kadyrov's remarks about a 'shameful provocation', Melikov expressed the hope that Dagestan's police officers were not being referred to, as they had earned a reputation as guardians of law and order. He cited the bravery and dedication of Dagestani officers, recalling the sacrifice of Magomed Nurbagandov and emphasising the professionalism and respect for rules displayed by today's police.

Melikov urged all those involved in the incident with Tsakayev to allow the law enforcement authorities to deal with the matter and to refrain from exacerbating tensions. He warned against providing fodder for provocations by common adversaries and called for an end to inflammatory rhetoric.