Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov reportedly suffering from pancreatic necrosis

Chechnya Governor Ramzan Kadyrov is suffering from pancreatic necrosis, a condition that entails part of the pancreas dying, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on Monday. The outlet says the Russian authorities have conducted a “PR campaign” to divert attention from Kadyrov’s health problems and that the scandal sparked by a video of Kadyrov’s teenage son beating up a prisoner in September 2023 was part of this effort. Now, according to the report, the Kremlin is preparing for the worst case scenario by searching for a successor for Kadyrov. Meduza summarizes the main points from these revelations.

Ramzan Kadyrov was diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis in 2019, according to new reporting from Novaya Gazeta Europe. Since then, the outlet says, Kadyrov has undergone “regular procedures,” including surgeries, at Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital at least twice a year. In the summer of 2020, after a bout of COVID-19, Kadyrov reportedly developed “serious problems with his endocrine system.” Novaya Gazeta notes that rapid weight loss, which Kadyrov experienced in 2019, is a common early symptom of the condition.

In the spring of 2022, Kadyrov’s health began to “rapidly decline,” Novaya Gazeta writes. He reportedly developed kidney failure and pulmonary edema, or fluid buildup in his lungs, which made it difficult for him to speak and walk.

After his health took an apparent downturn in September 2023, doctors at the Central Clinical Hospital “essentially restored his ability to function,” Novaya Gazeta says. A source in the hospital, however, told the outlet that an MRI conducted on Kadyrov at the time suggested a prognosis that left his relatives “depressed.” A source close to State Duma deputy and Kadyrov ally Adam Delimkhanov paraphrased the family’s reaction as follows: “The leader as we knew him will be gone; [the new] illness will have a serious effect on him. Even if he recovers right now, he’ll no longer be alive or dead.” Novaya Gazeta did not specify what “new illness” the source was referring to.

To divert attention from Kadyrov’s health issues, the Russian authorities reportedly decided to launch a “PR campaign,” which involved Kadyrov meeting publicly with Vladimir Putin and other officials to give the impression that he was active and healthy. According to Novaya Gazeta, the video Kadyrov posted in September 2023 that showed his 15-year-old son Adam assaulting a defenseless prisoner was also part of this distraction effort, as were the numerous awards Adam received in the weeks that followed.

As Kadyrov’s condition has worsened, according to Novaya Gazeta, the Putin administration has begun drafting plans for a possible “forced regime change in Chechnya.” The outlet named former Akhmat Battalion Commander Apti Alaudinov as one possible successor.

Shortly after Novaya Gazeta’s article was published, Kadyrov’s press service released a video showing the governor in a meeting on “issues related to Chechnya’s participation in the special military operation.” In the clip, Kadyrov speaks in a slurred manner and barely moves.

The Russian authorities have not commented on Novaya Gazeta’s reporting. The independent outlet Agentstvo quoted the Chechen opposition figure Ibrahim Yangulbaev as saying that Kadyrov is in a cycle of repeatedly undergoing IV treatment, partially recovering, and then worsening again: “When he looks white, that doesn’t mean that he’s dying.”