Ukrainian intelligence says Ramzan Kadyrov is gravely ill, and the Kremlin is fast-tracking the search for a replacement amid fears of instability in Chechnya.
Ukrainian news agency UNIAN reports, citing a source at Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Military Intelligence, Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s kidneys have failed.
He is reportedly in his own hospital within Chechnya. Members of his family clan - including relatives from abroad — have rushed to his side. The unusual concentration of relatives indirectly points to an extremely serious condition.
Amid Kadyrov’s deteriorating condition, discussions in Moscow about a potential successor have intensified. For the Kremlin, Chechnya is a high-risk region where power relies less on institutions than on personal loyalty and fear.
Sources say three main figures are currently seen as the most “convenient” options for the Kremlin:
- Magomed Daudov
- Apti Alaudinov
- Akhmat Kadyrov, Ramzan Kadyrov’s eldest son
In effect, this is less a choice than an attempt to maintain control over the region at any cost.
The power system Putin built in Chechnya is personally tied to Kadyrov. His potential departure could trigger competition among clans and security forces — a scenario the Kremlin fears nearly as much as open conflict.
With Russia bogged down in its war against Ukraine, it lacks bandwidth for another domestic crisis. That’s why the Kremlin is moving quickly, trying to cushion the blow and contain a potential new crisis in the North Caucasus.
