Recent reports from Russian and Ukrainian media suggest that Ramzan Kadyrov, who has governed the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya for almost 20 years, may be facing kidney failure and has begun considering potential successors.
Kadyrov has regularly refuted claims about his declining health, often responding with orchestrated public appearances.
For the Kremlin, the potential loss of Kadyrov poses a risk of destabilizing a region that experienced two brutal wars for independence from Moscow during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Here’s what we understand about Kadyrov’s health, as he is known for being one of Russia’s most ruthless and fiercely loyal regional leaders to the Kremlin, frequently accused of crimes against dissenters and political rivals.
For some time, reports of serious health issues have surrounded Kadyrov, 49, despite PR efforts from both Chechnya and the Kremlin to maintain his strongman image. Recently, these claims have become more frequent and severe.
Reports indicated that Kadyrov was hospitalized in serious condition in late December as he arrived in Moscow for the annual State Council meeting led by President Vladimir Putin, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe last month.
Remarkably, Kadyrov was absent from the December 25 meeting, as reported by the exiled news outlet, citing sources close to him.
“Moscow doctors barely managed to save him, and he returned home afterward,” claimed one source.
Throughout 2023, Kadyrov was seldom seen in public and reportedly consulted with German doctors twice, the outlet noted.
“Based on the cautious, fragmented discussions from [Kadyrov’s] inner circle, there is minimal hope for a favorable outcome,” the source told Novaya Gazeta Europe.
Kadyrov’s health has reportedly worsened, attributed to kidney failure, as reported last week by Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform and RBC Ukraine. As per a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence, he had to undergo dialysis at a private hospital in Chechnya.
This isn’t the first instance of Kadyrov being reported with kidney issues. In 2024, Novaya Gazeta Europe noted that Kadyrov, who appeared visibly larger in a video from that time, was battling kidney failure and fluid accumulation in his lungs.
“His abdomen exhibited all the signs of pancreatogenic ascites. He suffered from severe shortness of breath, struggled to speak, walked slowly, and wore unusually warm clothing for the Chechen climate,” the publication stated at that time.
In September 2023, critics of Kadyrov and Ukrainian intelligence asserted that he had been in a coma.
He was initially diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis in 2019 and encountered serious complications related to his endocrine system after contracting COVID-19 in 2020, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe.
Kadyrov has consistently rebuffed these reports. On multiple occasions, he has showcased footage of himself working or exercising to ostensibly assert his health and vitality.
Following renewed speculation about his health and apparent frailty, Kadyrov recently released a video of himself pulling a jeep.
On Monday, in light of the latest claims, Kadyrov shared a video stating he had convened his first meeting of the year with the Chechen government.
“We need to intensify efforts to counter the spread of false information online. People are alleging that my kidneys have failed, that I am hospitalized, and that Moscow doctors from a private clinic have been called to assist me,” Kadyrov stated in the video posted on his Telegram channel, as quoted by Chechnya Today.
He was also seen in a video shared on January 2 by Ahmed Dudayev, Chechnya’s Minister of National Policy and Press. The following day, his press service published another video showing Kadyrov using a cane and remaining silent at the opening of a local Islamic school.
“My mindset is combative. Satanists and neo-Nazis are doing their work — they are compensated for it. Regardless of what we say or demonstrate, these rumors will persist,” Kadyrov remarked during that time in reference to the health speculations.
Kadyrov’s press service frequently releases such footage in a coordinated effort to counter health-related rumors, as noted by Novaya Gazeta Europe.
In 2024, this initiative reportedly included top Russian officials, including Putin himself. The outlet indicated that Putin adjusted his schedule to meet Kadyrov, subsequently releasing photographs to confirm Kadyrov’s wellbeing.
Moscow has endorsed Kadyrov’s bid for the upcoming elections for the head of the republic, as reported by Novaya Gazeta, citing a source from the FSB’s Chechnya branch.
Kadyrov also expressed his intention to participate during a televised end-of-year call with the public, stating, “I will run in the elections if the president recommends it and the people back it.”
However, he also expressed his weariness with his position, suggesting, “new forces and fresh faces would be more engaging; the situation would improve with others in place.”
Ukrinform, citing unnamed sources, reported that Kadyrov’s declining health has heightened the urgency of identifying a potential successor.
Potential candidates include Chechnya’s Prime Minister Magomed Daudov and the commander of the Akhmat special forces, Apti Alaudinov.
Also mentioned is Kadyrov’s eldest son, 20-year-old Akhmat Kadyrov, who was recently appointed as Chechnya’s Deputy Prime Minister in addition to his role as Minister of Sports for the republic.
Exiled investigative outlet IStories reported that within Putin’s administration, Alaudinov is regarded as a possible successor, according to a current FSB officer. Meanwhile, Kadyrov is thought to prefer his younger son Adam, 18, for the position, according to IStories.
As of last month, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that Moscow had not engaged in “behind-the-scenes negotiations” regarding potential successors for Kadyrov.
“It remains unknown whether the Kremlin has a contingency plan in case Kadyrov is unable to continue his role,” the outlet added.
