Rumors about his health flared up again Ramzan Kadyrovfollowing a newspaper publication Novaya Gazeta, according to which the Chechen leader is suffering from acute necrotizing pancreatitis. The paper claims that the condition of 47-year-old Kadyrov – who is a Kremlin loyalist and known for his brutal treatment of dissidents – is “irreversible”. Therefore, the report says, Moscow is now being asked to draw up plans for how to maintain stability in Grozny “when the brutal Chechen dictator is no more.”

The newspaper Novaya Gazeta, founded by the laureate of Nobel Peace Prize journalist Dmitry Muratov, citing sources close to Kadyrov and doctors at the Kremlin Clinic, where the Chechen leader was reportedly treated last fall. At that time, rumors about a serious health problem faced by Ramzan Kadyrov had first come to light.

Kadyrov’s associates had released images from his visit of a Chechen leader in a hospital to see an uncle of his. Novaya Gazeta appears convinced that it was a pretext to keep Kadyrov’s admission and subsequent hospitalization secret.

A video posted today on Ramzan Kadyrov’s Telegram channel shows the Chechen leader at a cabinet meeting in Grozny. Images showing him almost motionless, speaking slowly and apparently with difficulty, are unlikely to dispel speculation about his health.