CHECHEN STRONGMAN LEADER SHARES WORKOUT VIDEO AS REPORTS OF ILLNESS GROW
Chechnya’s strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov has shared a workout video in response to claims that he is suffering from a life-threatening health condition.
A report citing medical sources by Novaya Gazeta Europe, a Russian opposition media outlet, said Mr Kadyrov, 47, had developed severe kidney failure and fluid build-up in his lungs.
The Chechen warlord was diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis in 2019 and treated at the presidential hospital in Moscow, sources said.
In an apparent attempt to quash the report, an ally of Mr Kadyrov shared a video of him pumping iron in a gym.
He was shown lifting weights from seven to 14kg as he worked out alongside other men.
The lyrics to music playing in the background say “God willing, you’ll live forever”.
“A busy day ended with exercise and positivity,” a message shared alongside the video said. “Remember that taking care of your health is an investment in your future.”
It is unclear when the footage was filmed but it was shared online at 2am on Friday.
On Monday, Mr Kadyrov’s official Telegram channel shared footage of him meeting officials in Grozny, the Chechen capital. He appeared skinnier than usual and his voice slurred as he briefed them on the war in Ukraine.
A worker at Moscow’s Central Clinic Hospital, known to treat senior Russian officials, told Novaya Gazeta Europe that an MRI scan in November 2023 had revealed Mr Kadyrov was suffering from a new, unknown condition.
A second source, described as close to a prominent Chechen MP, said: “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.”
Speculation over the warlord’s health was further fuelled in February 2024 when he failed to attend Vladimir Putin’s state of the nation address in Moscow.
Mr Kadyrov has described himself as a foot soldier to the Russian leader and named Grozny’s main street in honour of the man who propelled him to power in Chechnya.
He became leader after his father, Akhmad Kadyrov, was killed during a terrorist attack in Grozny in 2004.
Opposition critics say that Mr Kadyrov’s position has been propped up by Putin in exchange for his loyalty to the Kremlin after two brutal wars for independence since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
2024-04-23T17:06:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd