Chechnya head Ramzan Kadyrov claims he has requested to step down — for the fourth time in 8 years

Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Republic of Chechnya in Russia’s North Caucasus, has responded to renewed speculation about his possible resignation, telling the state-controlled outlet Chechnya Today that he is aware of the rumor. In fact, Kadyrov claimed to support the idea that he should step down.

“I’ve heard those rumors too. They’re writing all sorts of things. But on the contrary, I myself am asking to be relieved of my post. Someone else will have their own initiatives, their own vision. I hope my request will be supported,” the outlet quoted Kadyrov as saying.

As noted by the independent outlet Caucasian Knot, this is not the first time Kadyrov has publicly spoken about voluntarily giving up power in Chechnya. He made similar statements in 2017, 2020, and 2022 — none of which led to his departure.

In April 2024, Novaya Gazeta Europe published an investigative report claiming that Kadyrov had been diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis as early as 2019. According to the newspaper’s sources, the Kremlin has allegedly been searching for a successor due to his deteriorating health. Speculation around a potential resignation intensified further when, at the end of April, Kadyrov’s son, Adam Kadyrov, was appointed head of the Chechen Security Council — a body with significant influence in the region.

Ramzan Kadyrov has led Chechnya since 2007, when he was officially appointed head of the republic — three years after the assassination of his father, Akhmat Kadyrov. Despite repeated claims that the younger Kadyrov is ready to leave office, he has remained in power for over 17 years.

Caucasian Knot notes that nearly the entire governance structure in Chechnya is personally tied to Kadyrov and individuals close to him. According to estimates made in 2018, roughly one-third of all senior officials in the republic are Kadyrov’s relatives, 23% are from his home village, and another 12% are friends of the Chechen leader or his family members.

Political analysts believe that Kadyrov’s personnel policy is aimed at consolidating his family's grip on power and advancing the interests of the Kadyrov clan.