Kadyrov's dying. But don't worry, he's still crushing reps

The Chechen warlord released his latest workout video in an attempt to disprove reports of fatal illness. It did not work.

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Ramzan Kadyrov is dying, allegedly.

According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, the renowned independent Russian investigative outfit currently exiled to Europe, the Chechen warlord has been living with pancreatic necrosis for more than five years, a health condition in which part of your pancreas or tissues around it die. The condition could be fatal.

The outlet cited anonymous sources at the Moscow presidential hospital where Kadyrov was allegedly treated.

From Novaya Gazeta:

Since 2019, Kadyrov has undergone regular procedures at the Moscow Central Clinical Hospital, whose sources told Novaya Gazeta Europe that Kadyrov had been hospitalised [in 2023] with “acute pulmonary insufficiency” after overdosing on a preoperative sedative.

Kadyrov was hooked up to a ventilator and temporarily put into a medically induced coma, which led to anonymous Telegram channels reporting that Kadyrov was “in a coma”. To explain his absence and disprove these reports, Kadyrov published a picture in September of himself at the bedside of his uncle Magomed, allegedly receiving treatment at the same hospital.

While doctors managed to stabilise Kadyrov’s condition in September, Novaya Gazeta Europe’s source at the hospital said that Kadyrov’s MRI results caused “distress” among many in his inner circle. A source close to Adam Delimkhanov, a Russian lawmaker and ally of Kadyrov, said that he “wouldn’t be the same”, and that the new illness would “affect him greatly”.

It was around that time that the Kremlin started working on a succession plan to maintain stability in the North Caucasus republic in case of Kadyrov’s passing. However, officials have not commented on Novaya Gazeta Europe's report and I have not been able to independently verify the details.

Nevertheless, the article did prompt an indirect response from Kadyrov, who posted a workout video of him lifting weights to assuage concerns about his mortality.

“The busy day ended with training and positivity,” Kadyrov wrote in the caption that accompanied the video. “Physical activity not only improves your body, but also your mood. Evening classes are a great way to relax and recharge your batteries. Remember, taking care of your health is an investment in the future, and consistency and perseverance will lead you to success, both in sports and in life. I advise everyone to get rid of tension and recharge with vigor in this way.”

Yet despite Kadyrov’s attempts to disprove reports of his illness, it is evidently clear that he is planning for his succession.

The warlord is currently grooming his eldest son, the 18-year-old Akhmad, as his heir apparent. In September 2022, the teenager was elected as the regional chair of the Russian movement of youth and children. Then in March 2023, Kadyrov’s adolescent son visited the Kremlin to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. For some, this further fuelled rumours of Kadyrov’s health issues. For others, this signalled an impending transition in the long-oppressed republic. 

Kadyrov’s middle child Ali has been positioned as a budding MMA fighter, having taken part in his first professional MMA fight in December 2022. (The fight took place in an MMA organization controlled by Kadyrov and appeared fixed in the teenager’s favour). Meanwhile, 16-year-old Adam is arguably the son who best resembles his father. He carries a similar stocky frame, a brash attitude and a penchant for violence.

Kadyrov’s efforts to prime his children for more prominent roles in Chechen society could be viewed as an attempt to strengthen the position of current and future generations of the Kadyrov family as members of the political and cultural elite in the troubled North Caucasus republic.

Beyond his evident intentions for succession, Kadyrov has returned to sharing , gym-centric content, a hallmark of his cult of personality dating back to his initial Instagram posts a decade ago. For years, Kadyrov posted clips of himself sparring with UFC champions and lifting weights with his henchmen to bolster his strongman persona. He would even use those videos to take shots at his political opponents, such as in 2017 when he appeared to take a break from lifting weights to laugh off fresh US sanctions under the Magnitsky Act.

Now, he is using fitness propaganda to downplay a significant health condition and project the image of a robust and healthy leader.

It is not working.

Nevertheless, it is crucial to note that while Kadyrov’s death would leave an immense power vacuum in Chechnya in the midst of a war, it would not signal the end of the systematic abuse of human rights that have become a key characteristic of the warlord’s rule.

Whomever assumes power, whether it be Kadyrov’s eldest son or one of his right-hand men, the regime will continue to employ the arbitrary use of torture, forcible disappearances and other systemic abuses to maintain an iron rule over the republic.

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