Once again Ramzan Kadyrov is sending bad words towards the Kremlin. The Chechen ruler, himself a close ally of Vladimir Putin, publicly rebelled against two of the Kremlin leader's confidants. Is the Putin elite facing a split?
- Kadyrov rules the Russian Republic of Chechnya
- Kremlin ally publicly rages against Putin confidants
- Ramzan Kadyrov: He asks Vladimir Putin's Question of authority?
Ramzan Kadyrov, ruler of the Russian republic of Chechnya, and Russian President Vladimir Putin are considered particularly close allies. Ramzan Kadyrov is often attacked in the media for his ruthless art. He has sometimes received the infamous nickname “Bloodhound”. Kadyrov rules the Muslim-majority Russian republic in the Caucasus with an iron fist; his troops are loyal to Putin and fight with Russian forces in Ukraine. Or are cracks emerging in Kadyrov's relationship with the Kremlin?
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Ramzan Kadyrov publicly rages against Putin confidants
The Chechen ruler is known for his sometimes sharp words and unbridled outbursts. Now two of Vladimir Putin's closest confidants and high-ranking officials are sharply attacking Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov's outburst was directed at Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, and Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the interior minister. The former is one of Putin's closest allies, the latter was directly appointed to his office by the Russian head of state.
Ramzan Kadyrov: Is he asking Vladimir Putin's question of authority?
Kremlin watchers see Kadyrov's public attack on the two men as an open challenge to Putin's authority and a sign of growing dissent and divisions within the Russian elite. But perhaps this assessment goes too far.
Why Kadyrov is attacking the Kremlin
The Chechen leader, also a key Putin ally, is angry that police have placed a Chechen teenager under house arrest for his alleged involvement in a hooligan attack.
- The fourteen-year-old was reportedly part of a group of five teenagers who allegedly beat up eight people in a Moscow shopping center and a park in September 2023.
- Video footage purporting to show the violent attack in the park was posted on social media.
What Kadyrov accuses Putin confidants of
With the trial looming, Kadyrov has apparently decided to intervene publicly and warn Putin's ally in the lowest terms not to overstep their authority.
- “The people who sit at the top – the investigative agencies headed by Bastrykin and Kolokoltsev – are not in their place,” Kadyrov said at a news conference.
- “They won't put him in prison, they won't do anything with him. I spoke to everyone personally. He will be released soon,” he boasted.
It could be a clear signal from Kadyrov: Putin and his confidants have no authority to command him; Chechens are outside Russia's legal framework. A certain explosiveness can definitely be seen here.
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