Putin's men start fighting each other with at least 11 Russian people killed in shootout

Seven civilians - including two teenage girls - were killed in the shooting, an adviser to the exiled mayor of Mariupol said.

Ukrainian officials posted footage of two dead bodies in bullet battered cars with one man wearing a uniform and the other was dressed in civilian clothing.

Exiled mayor, Petr Andryushchenko said: “They started tearing off each other’s shoulder straps and there was a shootout."

It has been claimed the Chechens began shooting at Russian soldiers and civilians after drinking heavily.

The shoot out was confirmed by Ivan Topuzov, the Kremlin-installed head of the Mariupol region.

“When I got there, officials from the investigative committee were at work. They wouldn’t let me through and said, ‘It’s none of your business’.

"There are victims but I don’t know how many,” he told Astra, an independent Russian Telegram channel.

Ahmed Dudayev, a senior Chechen official, said the reports that Chechen fighters had been involved was “disinformation” but did not deny that the shooting had taken place.

It comes after the Wagner mercenary group attempted a rebellion following a feud between Yevgeny Prigozhin, their leader, and Russian defence chiefs.

The mission was halted following a last minute deal after the group killed around 15 Russian servicemen and demolished military helicopters and aircraft.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, there have been reports of other shootings between Putin's forces.

Last year, residents of Kherson claimed there was conflict between Chechen forces and Wagner mercenaries while the city was occupied by Russia.

Other troops including ethnic Russian soldiers had clashed with ethnic Buryat soldiers from eastern Siberia.