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The leader of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has denied rumors of being critically ill. Photo/Reuters
MOSCOW – The leader of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, released new video footage in which he smiles.
He recommended everyone to exercise in an apparent move to dispel speculation about his poor health.
Speculation has circulated for months that the highly influential 46-year-old Chechen leader accused by human rights groups of running a “totalitarian regime” may be ill.
Ukrainian Security Service spokesman Andriy Yusov told Ukrainian news agency Obozrevatel on September 15 that Kadyrov was in critical condition due to a serious illness.
On Sunday (17/9/2023), two videos appeared on Kadyrov’s Telegram channel. Wearing a raincoat, he was seen in the first video walking around in an unidentified location. He smiled, but his face looked puffy.
In the second video, he can be heard speaking in Chechen and then saying in Russian, “I strongly advise everyone who cannot differentiate between truth and lies on the internet to take a walk, get some fresh air and organize their thoughts.”
However, it is still unclear when exactly the video was recorded.
(ahm)