In Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the world is watching Vladimir Putin. But behind the Kremlin chief is a prominent henchman. According to Ukrainian sources, he is in a coma.
Ramzan Kadyrov earned the nickname “Putin’s Hound” even before Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine began. The Chechen leader is considered extremely brutal and at the same time, as President of Chechnya, he pacified the Russian Caucasus Republic for Vladimir Putin – he is loyally on the side of the Kremlin chief.
But now the Ukrainian secret services report that Kadyrov is in a coma and that his health is critical. (Read more about this here) These reports cannot be verified. But it would be a serious setback for Putin if he lost one of his most loyal henchmen.
Who is the man so loyal to Putin?
Video | Ukraine: Uproar over Putin’s ‘hound dog’ – but the scene was supposed to show dead people
Source: t-online
Head for the grace of Putin
Ramzan Kadyrov is the president of the Russian republic of Chechnya. His father, Akhmat, was appointed head of Chechnya by Putin – as a reward for turning his back on his army in the second Chechen war in 1999 and instead fighting on the Russian side. In the ten-year war, which claimed many victims among the civilian population, he conquered the region that was previously considered independent.
In gratitude, Vladimir Putin brought Akhmat Kadyrov to power until he was assassinated by Islamic rebels in 2004. Alu Alkhanov then officially assumed the role of president. Unofficially, however, Kadyrov’s son Ramzan had long been in charge. In 2007, at age 30, he officially followed in his father’s footsteps. In 2021, he would have achieved an election result of 99.6 percent. However, human rights activists criticize the fact that legitimate and free elections have not been held in Chechnya for a long time.
Pomp and ostentation through our own foundation
In addition to electoral manipulation, Kadyrov apparently does not shy away from other crimes: the suspicion is that Kadyrov is financing his luxurious lifestyle through corruption. The 45-year-old is the father of a total of 12 children and the husband of two women. Each of them is said to have built a palace in the Chechen capital, Grozny, and, according to media reports, a third serve as the seat of government.
But it is not only in Grozny that Kadyrov must live like a lord. He will also fly regularly to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with his $80 million Airbus, Ukrainska Pravda reports. Photos on social media prove this: he owns a villa in Dubai – on the famous Palm Islands. A journalist asked Kadyrov where the money came from in 2011. “Allah gives. I don’t know,” he replied.
But the truth probably lies elsewhere: as the “Projek” investigative team and the MBCh media portal discovered, citizens of Chechnya are obliged to pay mandatory contributions to the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation. With the equivalent of 70 million euros, it was the richest in Russia in 2019.
Kadyrov’s “missing” critics
There is currently no solid evidence of corruption. Because critics, opposition members or journalists who stand in Kadyrov’s way have to fear for their lives. Three examples: