Rumours of Kadyrov's poor health affect Putin's power in Chechnya – ISW

Continued concern about the health of Ramzan Kadyrov in the Russian information space is emphasising Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dependence on the Kremlin-controlled head of Chechnya to maintain stability in the region, ISW analysts say.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: The analysts recall that the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine confirmed that Kadyrov is in a very serious condition, which caused corresponding rumours among Russian military bloggers and insider sources.

At the same time, Kadyrov himself denied rumours about his state of health in a video.

Quote: "The destabilisation of Kadyrov’s rule in Chechnya would be a major blow to Putin’s regime, in part because of how central the establishment of stability in Chechnya through a brutal and bloody war was to Putin’s early popularity in Russia," the ISW writes.

Analysts say Kadyrov and other Russian officials may be concerned that persistent rumours about his health will affect the long-term stability of his, and therefore Putin's, control of Chechnya.

Background: On 17 September, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-controlled Head of Chechnya, posted a personal video on social media for the first time in two weeks amid rumours of a sharp deterioration in his health or even his death. [Chechnya is a federal subject of Russia; the Ukrainian parliament has recognised it as the temporarily Russian-occupied territory of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.] The videos are captioned: "I strongly advise everyone who cannot distinguish truth from lies on the internet to take a walk in the fresh air and put their thoughts in order." However, in the video itself, Kadyrov is more abstract, saying that he is listening to the Quran and has walked several kilometres.

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