Vladimir Putin met with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in Moscow today, just days after the ruthless warlord posted a video of his son beating a Ukrainian held on suspicion of burning the Koran.
Kadyrov, who a few days ago was declared ‘seriously ill’ by Ukrainian intelligence and fighting for his life in a coma, was pictured grinning as he met his close ally Putin in the Russian capital this afternoon.
The meeting comes three days after Kadyrov, 46, praised his 15-year-old son for beating a prisoner accused of burning the Koran, an incident on which the Kremlin declined to comment.
Adam Kadyrov, 15, was caught pulverizing Nikita Zhuravel, 19, a native Ukrainian, who was being held in a detention cell for allegedly setting fire to a copy of Islam’s holy book.
Although the abuse has been openly discussed in Russian media for a month, a video of the attack was shared on Monday by the ruthless Chechen warlord, who said he was “proud” of his teenage son for carrying out the horrific attack.
Vladimir Putin met today with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured together) in Moscow
The Chechen leader was pictured grinning during a public appearance just days after Ukrainian intelligence reported he was in a coma
The meeting with Putin also comes shortly after he posted a video of his son beating a Ukrainian held on suspicion of burning the Koran.
Father-of-14 Kadyrov said on his social media channels: ‘There are still discussions online about the fact that (my son) Adam Kadyrov beat up Holy Quran burner Nikita Zhuravel, an accomplice of the Ukrainian security services.
‘Did it happen or not? He hit him and did the right thing.
“Furthermore, I believe that anyone who violates the Holy Scriptures, including those who demonstratively burn them and insults tens of millions of citizens of our great country, should be severely punished.
“Our country has a unique law for the protection of the Holy Scriptures, signed by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
“Religious values of the country’s citizens are protected by the state at the highest level. And provocateurs cannot take that away.
‘Without exaggeration: yes, I am proud of Adam’s action.
“He has always distinguished himself by his desire to grow up not among his peers, but among his elders, and thus develop mature ideals of honor, dignity and defense of his religion.
“I respect his choice.”
A short video clip posted by TV reporter Pavel Zarubin showed Putin and Kadyrov exchanging opening remarks today, without any reference to the intense episode that drew condemnation even from some pro-Kremlin hardliners.
Putin said there was a “positive dynamic” in Chechnya, largely thanks to Kadyrov and his team. Kadyrov was also shown handing him some papers from a file.
Adam Kadyrov is one of the fourteen children of the ruthless warlord. They are pictured together above
Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin (photo, right) has supported Kadyrov for several years and they are close allies
Less than a fortnight ago, Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that the Chechen warlord was in a coma and that kidney doctors had been rushed from Moscow to his regional capital Grozny to treat him.
“There is indeed information that the condition of the war criminal Kadyrov is serious,” said Andrei Yusov, spokesman for the GUR’s military intelligence service.
“We can confirm that he has suffered a serious relapse and has been in critical condition for several days.”
Earlier this year there were claims of Kadyrov’s health problems, with observers noting rapid weight gain and a swollen face.
In photos with Putin today, the warlord, while his face still looked bloated, showed no visible signs of a “serious condition” – which he himself has dismissed.
The health of Kadyrov – who has sent tens of thousands of fighters to Putin’s war in Ukraine – is the subject of deep speculation in Russia, amid claims that he is terminally ill.
He is believed to have serious kidney problems.
During a meeting with Putin earlier this year, he appeared breathless, bloated and shaking as he read awkwardly from a large font while reporting to Putin.
Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured) has released a virtually unintelligible video of himself walking through a park, apparently trying to confirm that he is healthy
In March, after a wave of speculation, Kadyrov insisted he was “healthy and full of energy” and was being regularly monitored by doctors.
That same month, Putin took the unusual step of summoning his eldest son Achmat, 17, for a one-on-one meeting at the Kremlin.
Ramzan Kadyrov inherited leadership of the region from his murdered father.
In early July, amid a new swirl of health rumors, Kadyrov said in a lengthy post that he had shot a movie to prove he was not dead.
“Somehow we’re still alive,” he said. “Anyway, we don’t want to live long. We will live a short but decent life.’
Exiled Chechen opposition politician Tumso Abdurakhmanov said at the time: “His kidneys have completely failed and dialysis is not helping.”
Kadyrov, father of at least fourteen children, is a colonel general in Putin’s national guard.
The decision to share the video of his son beating the Ukrainian prisoner sparked widespread backlash and is currently being investigated by Russia’s Investigative Committee.
TV star Ksenia Sobchak filed a complaint with the head of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin – a former classmate of Putin – about the post.
‘This is hell. This is the head of the Republic (Chechnya).
“This is a disrespect for the laws of our country,” she said.
“Adam Kadyrov’s actions must be investigated, they must be legally assessed in accordance with the Criminal Code of Russia, not the laws of Sharia or Ramzan Kadyrov.
‘This young man cannot get away with it. How much longer can he mock all of Russia and openly spit in the face of the entire law enforcement system?”
After rumors spread that Kadyrov was in a coma, the bloodthirsty leader posted a video on his Telegram channel, apparently to prove that he was not in a coma.
Kadyrov, who is often accused of being involved in the kidnapping, murder and torture of human rights activists, critics and their relatives, took two videos of himself walking along a path in an unidentified park.
Although he could be heard in both videos, he did not speak coherently.
He said ‘that’s the way things are…’ before walking off and mumbling incoherently about the rain and the distance he still had to walk, before bizarrely ending the video by saying ‘so do some exercise!’
You could also hear him breathing heavily as he took a quiet walk through the park.