Mairbek Vatchagaev was a senior ranking official in the Chechen government of Aslan Maskhadov.

After receiving his doctoral degree, Vatchagaev returned to Chechnya and was placed in charge of the information department of the armed forces of Ichkeria.

At the same time, he was in charge of leading the investigation center functioning under the presidential administration of Ichkeria.

He has published numerous articles on the history of Chechnya and politics in the North Caucasus and Russia.

He has extensively contributed to the Jamestown publication Eurasia Daily Monitor about developments in the North Caucasus.