This Chechen devil wears Prada — and was reportedly promoted to lieutenant general in the Russian military while striving to support strongman Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov, 45, a notorious warlord and member of the Russian army accused of multiple human rights abuses, was promoted to rank by the Kremlin and traveled to the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol to boost troops’ morale. according to the Times of London, which quoted Russian state media.
“Friends, the city of Mariupol receives liberators represented by the Russian Armed Forces every day. Today I decided to pay an unexpected visit there together with my dear nephews,” Kadyrov told Telegram on Monday, citing a group of Chechen officials with him, the Washington Examiner reported.
“Right now, most of the city is under the control of Russian forces,” added Kadyrov, who recently mocked Elon Musk for the Tesla founder’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion that he engage in “one-on-one combat” with Putin.
Shortly after Russia began invading Ukraine last month, Kadyrov made a speech mocking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and demanding that the leader seek Putin’s forgiveness, the outlet reported.
It was later reported that Kadyrov was wearing a pair of $1,500 Prada boots when delivering his address.
Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov has been promoted to lieutenant general in the Russian military.REUTERS/Chingis Kondarov/File Photo
Kadyrov is considered a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.Photo by ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images
The Russian media’s report on Kadyrov’s military promotion included a video showing the longtime Putin cronie allegedly shaking hands with Kremlin Lieutenant General Andrei Mordvichev. Ukrainian officials claimed on March 23 that Mordichev was killed in the Ukrainian port city of Kherson.
Kadyrov is notorious for torturing his critics in Chechnya, a Muslim, Russian-controlled republic into which Putin has poured billions of rubles in return for his fierce loyalty, according to the Times of London.
Chechen official Ruslan Geremeyev, a suspect in the 2015 assassination of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, is also said to have taken part in the offensive against Mariupol.
Kadyrov urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to apologize to Putin at the start of the Russian invasion.KRINFORM/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images
In a speech in Mariupol, Kadyrov claimed that the city was receiving “liberators represented by the Russian armed forces.” REUTERS/Chingis Kondarov
“My dear brother Ruslan Geremeyev always completes the tasks entrusted to him,” Kadyrov said, according to the Mirror. “He was assigned the most difficult sector in Mariupol. And the commander completed the mission with flying colours.
“Once again, he lived up to his reputation as an experienced and fearless commander,” he added.
On Monday, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said Russian forces had control of large parts of the southern port city on the Azov Sea coast after weeks of siege and bombardment.
“Not everything is in our power,” Boichenko told CNN. “Unfortunately, today we are in the hands of the occupiers.”