Rumors about Ramzan Kadyrov’s health flared up again, following a report by the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, according to which the Chechen leader is suffering from acute necrotizing pancreatitis.
The paper claims that the condition of 47-year-old Kadyrov – who is a Kremlin loyalist and known for his brutal treatment of dissidents – is “irreversible”. Therefore, the report says, Moscow is now being asked to draw up plans for how to maintain stability in Grozny “when the brutal Chechen dictator is no more”.
The Novaya Gazeta newspaper, founded by Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Dmitry Muratov, cited sources close to Kadyrov and doctors at the Kremlin Clinic, where the Chechen leader was reportedly treated last fall. At that time, rumors about a serious health problem faced by Ramzan Kadyrov had first come to light.
Associates of Kadyrov had released images of the Chechen leader’s visit to a hospital to see an uncle. Novaya Gazeta appears convinced that it was a pretext to keep Kadyrov’s admission and subsequent hospitalization secret.
A video posted today on Ramzan Kadyrov’s Telegram channel shows the Chechen leader at a cabinet meeting in Grozny. Images showing him almost motionless, speaking slowly and apparently with difficulty, are unlikely to dispel speculation about his health.
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