The men were members of the notorious Chechen Akhmat Kadyrov special police regiment, a group Ukrainian officials have said was responsible for some of the worst atrocities in the war with Russia. The unit had just won one of the contests at the international Swat Challenge games, which are held each year in the United Arab Emirates.
The invasion of Ukraine has made Russia a pariah state in the west, with many Russian sports teams and cultural figures banned from participation in global competitions.
But in Dubai last week, Chechen forces were competing against elite police squads from the US and Canada, raising questions about why western security groups were taking part in a contest alongside a unit accused of war crimes in Ukraine.
Hosted by the Dubai police over the last week, the 5th UAE Swat Challenge bills itself as the Olympics for elite law enforcement agencies and aims to "foster cooperation and exchange of tactical techniques and skills" among international police teams, according to the event's website.
In videos published by organisers, 87 Swat teams from 48 countries are seen engaging in various mock tactical challenges including assaults, rescues and shooting drills.
Among this year's participants were two US law enforcement agencies, the NYPD emergency service unit, New York's select police unit, and the San Antonio police department (SAPD) from Texas. From Canada, the London emergency response unit (LU) participated.
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