The leader of a fighting nation should be in perfect health. On Ramsan Kadyrowundisputed head of the Russian republic of Chechnya and in his current post since 2007, this should be particularly true. His intensively cultivated image is based on the unassailable right of the strongest. He has made it his credo, which everyone who gets in his way must follow.
But the 49-year-old power-hungry ruler appears anything but healthy. For several years there have been persistent rumors that Kadyrov is struggling with serious illnesses. This is indicated by his puffy face, repeated hospital stays, often for long periods of time, and his public absences.
New details emerge again and again. For example, that Kadyrov underwent a failed kidney transplant in the United Arab Emirates. The opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe spoke of pancreatic necrosis; at the end of December, according to an anonymous Chechen source, he was resuscitated in the hospital. The Ukrainian secret service claims to have identified signs of an imminent demise.
All of this news is fueling speculation about the succession arrangement, should it actually come to that in the near future. They were further fueled by news of a car accident in mid-January in which two people died and Kadyrov’s son Adam was said to have been seriously injured.
At least 30 years old
Kadyrov Jr., who came of age last November, is considered his father’s number one preferred candidate. According to current law, candidates for the office of head of the republic must be at least 30 years old. But Adam had already been showered with awards as a teenager and was appointed secretary of the Chechen Security Council at the age of 17. A brutal guy, just like his father – or so it seems.
The young Kadyrov will probably survive the accident. The spleen was affected and the jaw was broken, as the opposition Chechen Telegram channel Niyso reported. This has now been added to the official list of terrorist and extremist groups. Nobody should dare to reveal information about what is actually happening in Chechnya. This is solely a matter for the totalitarian Kadyrov regime.
Over the years, the power apparatus has ensured that the people of the North Caucasus republic have been intimidated and silenced. This fact makes it incredibly difficult to gain realistic and verifiable insights into its inner workings.
There is no doubt that Kadyrov holds all the power in Chechnya. As the successor to his father, who was killed in an attack in 2004, he also knows his place in Vladimir Putin’s power structure.
Unlimited freedoms
Because there can only be one president in Russia, he gave up this title after several years in office and has since been known as Head of Chechnya. This submissive gesture of loyalty to the Kremlin was bought with high transfer payments to the Kremlin after two Chechen wars shattered republic, but must not hide the fact that Kadyrov otherwise takes almost unlimited liberties.
There are reasons why he is firmly in the saddle. He took tough action against the remnants of separatist structures and the Islamist underground. Under his rule, Chechnya is considered pacified and as long as this is the case, he is allowed to act as regional prince, something that governors in other parts of the country would not be allowed to do. In no other region are such brutal measures taken against LGBTQ+ people. Kidnapping, murder – any means is acceptable.
His concept of rule is also based on his descendants. Kadyrov has fourteen children of his own, who are being prepared for civil service as soon as they grow out of childhood. Adam is the third eldest son. Twenty-year-old Achmat has been sports minister for almost two years and has also been deputy government chairman since January.
His eldest sister Aischat Kadyrova was culture minister and now oversees the immense family fortune as a businesswoman. The extensive Kadyrov clan controls all financial flows in the republic, both legal and illegal. With Prime Minister Magomed Daudow and his long-time companion Adam Delimkhanov, Kadyrov also has close allies beyond his immediate family.
Profiteer of the Krieges
Ramzan Kadyrov strives to make himself irreplaceable. The Kremlin is taking advantage of its informal relationships in the Arab world. From the beginning sKadyrov fully supported Russia’s war of aggression against Ukrainehe knows how to benefit from that too.
He worked specifically on the legalization and expansion of armed units under his command. At first this was limited to police structures, but the war opened up new options. Chechen army formations have been established and increasingly expanded, with soldiers recruited from other Russian regions being deployed in Ukraine.
“Paradoxically, Kadyrov is also perceived by many in Chechnya as a guarantor of stability,” says Alexander Cherkassov from the Human Rights Center Memorial in an interview with taz. He is seen as a guarantor who will prevent a third Chechen war and mass repression against participants in the first two Chechen wars.
“This explains why Kadyrov’s totalitarian regime is seen as a lesser evil compared to a new, even more widespread mass terror,” said the Chechnya expert. What will happen if Kadyrov’s health requires a change of power is completely unclear. Only when the time comes will a successor be presented. Parliamentary elections will take place in Chechnya in September. The head will then also be re-elected.