Putin’s Henchman Addresses Rumors He’s Dying

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has addressed swirling rumors about his declining health with a cryptic message on mortality.

Kadyrov, dubbed President Vladimir Putin‘s henchman, posted a video to his Telegram channel, weeks after he asked the Russian leader “to be relieved of my post” amid rumors of deteriorating health that will soon force him to step down.

Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment by email.

Why It Matters

The message comes amid mounting speculation over the health of the Chechen leader, who governs the predominantly Muslim republic in southern Russia. It marks the first time Kadyrov has publicly addressed the rumors, which intensified after Latvia-based Novaya Gazeta reported in April 2024 that he was diagnosed in 2019 with necrotizing pancreatitis—a severe condition that can lead to organ failure and death.

What To Know

In a video published Tuesday, Kadyrov said in a voiceover that he “increasingly hears gossip about my illness,” but didn’t confirm or deny whether his health was deteriorating.

“They say that I am dying, I have little time left,” the Chechen leader said.

“Firstly, illness and death are the path of every person. No one living has passed this road. Secondly, it is not illness or threat that shortens life. Its length is determined only by the one who gave breath.”

Kadyrov, who is 48, added: “If I am destined to live 50, 60 or 70 years, I will live them as prescribed, and no one will take away a single day.”

In a caption, he also said, “Every day is a priceless gift, measured out by the Almighty” and said, “We must live it consciously, without spreading empty rumors and sowing discord.”

Earlier this month, Novaya Gazeta reported that Kadyrov asked Putin to dismiss him, and that he was preparing his teenage son Adam Kadyrov to replace him as Chechen leader. He was appointed to the post by the Russian president in 2007 following the assassination of his father, Akhmad Kadyrov, three years earlier.

Kadyrov later walked back his resignation comments in a post on his Telegram channel.

“Many did not understand the meaning of my words about resignation. I do not decide whether I will remain in the position of the Head of the Chechen Republic or not,” Kadyrov wrote.

“Yes, I can ask or suggest. But no matter how much I say, no matter how much I ask, such a decision is made by only one person—our Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

“I am an infantryman! I am a team person. If there is an order, I carry it out.”

Speculation about the Chechen leader’s health intensified in September 2023 when Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said Kadyrov had been unwell for a long time with systemic health problems. There were also rumors on social media that Kadyrov was dead or in a coma.

What People Are Saying

Ramzan Kadyrov’s relatives told Novaya Gazeta in 2024: “There won’t be the same leader as before, the [new complications] will seriously affect [him]. Even if he recovers now, he will be neither alive nor dead.”