A Russian military court on June 14 sentenced Eduard Ulman and three other Russian soldiers to long prison terms for killing six civilians, including a pregnant woman, in the war-ravaged Russian republic five years ago.
Three of the defendants have been missing since April and were tried in absentia.
The Prosecutor-General's Office has ordered the searches to investigate the possibility that the three men were abducted.
Crisis In Chechnya
RFE/RL's complete coverage of Russia's war-torn Republic of Chechnya.