(GROZNY, CHECHNYA) – Persistent speculation regarding the health of Ramzan Kadyrov has taken a significant turn with claims that the Chechen leader was targeted with the nerve agent Novichok.
Human rights advocate and Ichkerian activist Musa Lomaev has asserted that Kadyrov’s well documented medical struggles are the result of deliberate poisoning rather than natural causes. These reports emerge following years of fluctuating health for the dictator, during which his physical appearance has alternated between extreme swelling and sudden weight loss.
Intelligence reports suggest that Kadyrov’s complications are far more extensive than simple renal failure. While previous rumours indicated that his son, Adam Kadyrov, might act as a kidney donor, Lomaev claims that a prior transplant involving an organ from the dictator’s uncle proved unsuccessful.
The current condition of the Chechen leader is described as critical, with observations of medical equipment such as urinary catheters and signs of comprehensive chemotherapy being used to manage systemic organ failure.
The use of Novichok is a signature of the Kremlin’s security services, leading to theories that the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, may have decided to liquidate a loyalist who has outlived his strategic utility.
Critics argue that the federal centre has exhausted Kadyrov as a resource and is seeking a controlled transition of power. This pattern of eliminating difficult assets mirrors the fate of various resistance commanders and even Kadyrov’s father, who died in a high profile explosion.
The transition of power appears to be focusing on the dictator’s teenage son, Adam Kadyrov, despite his history of legal impunity and lack of experience.
Recent reports have linked the younger Kadyrov to a series of violent incidents, including a motorcade accident and the alleged killing of school children while speeding.
These events have sparked further rumours that federal security forces, frustrated by the family’s lawlessness, may be orchestrating the downfall of the current Chechen leadership to install a more manageable successor.
