On 31 May, Kadyrov announced during a meeting with members of Chechnya's government and the heads of the republic's direct administrations that criminal proceedings were underway against both rank-and-file Vostok members as well as Yamadaev himself. Yet each time Kadyrov acted against the Vostok battalion and Yamadaev, it was refuted by the Russian Defense Ministry. Four days after the announced suspension of Yamadaev, a military official declared that the Vostok battalion had not been disbanded and that Yamadaev was still in command. Also, when Kadyrov declared criminal proceedings against Yamadaev, the Russian Military Prosecutor's Office issued an immediate denial. The most significant statement was made by General Shamanov on 10 June, when he declared that both the Vostok and Zapad battalions would remain intact, saying, “These battalions will certainly remain, because they not only fulfill important missions as part of the Combined Group of Forces in the North Caucasus, but they also carry out peacekeeping missions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.” This was viewed as yet another setback for Kadyrov.