Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is "suffering from a health condition that could be fatal," according to opposition Russian media, which also reported that his illness has prompted the Kremlin to look for a successor to maintain stability in the troubled Chechen region. Kadyrov, a former separatist fighter, has governed Chechnya on behalf of President Putin since 2007, having reached the minimum age for the position at 30. He has been accused by Russian human rights groups, as well as Western countries, of committing human rights abuses, including personally torturing his critics and conducting a violent purge of LGBTQ individuals in Chechnya. He is also a prominent supporter of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Regarding his health condition, medical sources told Novaya Gazeta Europe, a newspaper known for covering critical Russian political and social issues, that Kadyrov was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis in 2019, which has worsened in recent months. It is also likely that he is suffering from acute kidney failure, with fluid accumulation in his lungs. In a clear attempt to deny the newspaper's report, Kadyrov's Telegram account shared a video last Monday of him chairing a meeting with officials in the Chechen capital, Grozny; however, he appeared frail and stuttered in his speech, struggling to move his body. One of his allies later posted a video showing Kadyrov exercising at a gym, but observers noted that he was lifting light weights between 7 to 14 kilograms, rather than heavier ones as was typical.
Speculation about Kadyrov's health escalated particularly in February when he was unable to attend Putin's State of the Nation address in Moscow, a key event in the Russian political calendar. Critics from the opposition claim that Putin allows Kadyrov to run Chechnya, which has a population of 1.4 million, mostly Muslims, as if it were his personal fiefdom in exchange for maintaining its fragile stability, following two devastating wars for independence against Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Therefore, if Kadyrov becomes incapacitated, there is a possibility that separatist violence could engulf Chechnya once again.
Kadyrov rose to power after his father, Akhmad Kadyrov, was killed in a terrorist attack in Grozny in 2004. He was 18 when he met Putin in the Kremlin after being appointed Minister of Youth, and since then, Moscow has groomed him for power. The British newspaper "The Times" reported yesterday that Apti Alaudinov, a prominent Chechen battalion leader holding the title "Hero of Russia," is likely to be appointed as his successor if Kadyrov is unable to continue serving.
