By KYIV. Sept 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Prolonged concern about Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov’s health in the Russian information space highlights Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dependence on Kadyrov for continued stability in Chechnya, analysts at the ISW Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe.
It is reported that the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Agency (GUR) reportedly confirmed that Kadyrov was in a coma on September 15, prompting rumors about Kadyrov’s poor health among Russian milbloggers and insider sources, although Kadyrov denied the rumors about his health in a video posted on September 17.
“The destabilization of Kadyrov’s rule in Chechnya would be a major blow to Putin’s regime, in part because of how central the establishment of stability in Chechnya through a brutal and bloody war was to Putin’s early popularity in Russia,” the ISW said.
