Chechnya’s autocratic leader Ramzan Kadyrov has fallen into a coma and is in critical condition.
“The information is confirmed by various sources in medical and political circles,” said Andriy Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence, who first reported the information. “According to reports, the war criminal Kadyrov is in a serious condition and the diseases he suffered from have worsened, leading to such a serious condition.”
“His poor health is not due to injury,” Ukrainian spy Andriy Yusov added.
“It’s not about injuries. Further details need to be clarified. “He has been ill for a long time and we are talking about systemic health problems,” he said. “He has been in serious condition for several days.”
Russia has not yet responded to the Ukrainian allegations.
Kadyrov: Putin’s attack dog
Ramzan Kadyrov, a Kremlin loyalist nicknamed “Putin’s Soldier” and “Putin’s Attack Dog,” has sent troops to Ukraine to help the Russian president in his war in Ukraine.
Last July, he said he had sent a detachment of Chechen troops to fight in Bakhmut. That department signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry earlier this year, in contrast to Wagner’s boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who protested that his mercenaries signed with Moscow.
According to the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin thanked Kadyrov at a meeting in March for helping Russia wage the war in Ukraine.
“We are carrying out all the orders you gave us and we want to reach a victorious conclusion,” Kadyrov said at the time.
Health problems
Rumors about Kadyrov’s health have been circulating for months. Chechnya’s former deputy prime minister, Akhmad Zakayev, told Germany’s Bild newspaper last year that Kadyrov was suffering from severe kidney disease.
The Chechen leader tried to deny rumors about his poor health. Last March, he told friends he wasn’t sick, just unusually bloated. “I am attributed to various illnesses: sometimes I have kidney problems, sometimes I have liver problems,” he said.
According to the British newspaper Chron, Kadyrov’s bloated appearance suggested kidney problems or even poisoning.
The Chechen leader is said to have brought a doctor specializing in kidney diseases from the United Arab Emirates to the capital of the Republic of Grozny. He also reportedly went to Abu Dhabi for treatment.
Kadyrov’s health appeared to deteriorate in recent days. He fell into a coma earlier this week and was then flown to Moscow for treatment. He was then reportedly sent back to Chechnya.