Intelligence Research Observatory
Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin’s Man in Chechnya
Methodology–OSINT research
Author-S.A. Cavanagh
Research Assistance-Chuck Stevens
Background and Analysis
Ramzan Kadyrov is the leader of the Russian state of Chechnya. Installed by Vladimir Putin, Kadyrov was elected president of Chechnya in 2007. He has ruled a majority-Muslim Chechnya since. Ramzan Kadyrov also serves as commander of the Akhmat special forces unit; a paramilitary organization in Chechnya, that serves as the protection for the Head of the Chechen Republic. Ramzan Kadyrov rose to power after his father, the president of Chechnya Akhmad Kadyrov, was assassinated at the Grozny stadium bombing, during a sporting event in 2004. Ramzan Kadyrov, possessing both the political and material means for the role as leader of a pro Russian Chechen government was a no brainer for Moscow. The complex Kadyrov-Russia relationship was engineered by Vladimir Putin himself. According to Putin “Chechnya should be ruled by a Chechen, and appointing a non-Chechen head of the republic would be interpreted as a gesture of distrust in the Chechen people as a whole.” (Jamestown,ND) In return for the Putin-Kadyrov alliance, Russia gets a stable Chechnya, run by a harsh president backed by a powerful paramilitary-police force. Ramzan Kadyrov exerts his influence over Chechnya to appease Moscow, while allowing Russia to keep appearances that it controls its outlier states. Ramzan Kadyrov simply seeks to protect his domain, knowing how short his political life will be without Putin, and he is therefore quite sincere in describing himself as Putin’s foot soldier.(Carnegie Endowment, 2023) Kadyrov ignores Federation laws governing conscription and state secularism. Kadyrov intimidates and assassinates regime critics abroad, especially targeting Chechen diasporas in Europe. Although Kadyrov’s political and military structures defy Moscow, the Putin administration tolerates this dysfunctional situation because Kadyrov effectively suppresses Chechen separatism. (Army War College, 2023) Ramzan Kadyrov speaks of founding his own private military company upon retirement. This would bolster his personal security, and allow Kadyrov to put down any anti-Russian dissent or rebellion. A Chechen Private Mercenary company would be invaluable to Putin, much as Wagner and other Russian military companies have demonstrated in recent history, even when noting the brief coup attempt by Wagner’s Prigozhin. Kadyrov, if well funded by the Kremlin as a military contractor could pay billions, this will secure the wealth and power needed for Kadyrov and his family to remain safe and influential. (Carnegie Endowment, 2023)
TSENTOROY, RUSSIAN FEDERATION: (FILES) Picture taken 30 January 2004, shows Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov (R) and his son Ramazan standing in front of Ramazan’s house in Tsentoroy, Kadyrov’s native village, some 40 km from Chechen capital Grozny 30 january 2004. The pro-Moscow Chechen leader was killed in a blast that rocked a stadium in the republic’s capital Grozny, 09 May 2004, according to Interfax. AFP PHOTO/STRINGER (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
Family Ties-Who is Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov?
Born-5 October 1976 (age 46)
Ramzan Kadyrov-Son of Akhmad Kadyrov
- Akhmad Kadyrov, Chechen Rebel who declared Jihad on Russia and fought against Russia during the first Chechen war
- Akhmad Kadyrov, changed sides during the second Chechen war and became loyal to Russia and Vladimir Putin
- Akhmad became Chechen president in 2003
- Akhmad was assassinated in 2004 Grozny stadium bombing
- No group claimed responsibility
- Chechen separatist rebels are suspected to have conducted the bombing
- Alternatively separatist rebels claim Russian security services executed the bombing to “Liquidate the marionette government”
- Akhmad Kadyrov’s opposition to Chechnya’s growing Wahhabi politics contributed to his criticisms of independent Chechnya, influencing his 1999 defection to Russia with other disaffected warlords
- Russia then selected Akhmad Kadyrov to lead its pro-Russian Chechen government, as he had both the political and material means for the role
- Installing the Kadyrovs meant the Kadyrovtsy could manage the conflict and form a reintegrated Chechen government to achieve Russia’s political war goals (Army War College, 2023)
Education-Ramzan Kadyrov
- Makhachkala Institute of Business and Law
- Dagestan State Technical University
- Dagestan State University
Image of Chechen-Akhmat Special Forces in Ukraine Courtesy of Moscow Times
Akhmat Special Forces AKA Kadyrovtsy
- Named after Akhmad Kadyrov, a moderate Muslim member of the Chechen separatist movement, turned defector and loyalist to Russia and Vladimir Putin
- Akhmat special forces unit, is a paramilitary organization in Chechnya, Russia, that serves as the protection of the Head of the Chechen Republic
- The term Kadyrovtsy is commonly used in Chechnya to refer to any armed, ethnically-Chechen men under the control of Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov
- Akhmat SF fall under the umbrella of the National Guard of Russia
- Akhmat designated a militia after the Chechen wars
- When Akhmad Kadyrov’s defected to the Kremlin side in 1999, Kadyrov and his followers fought for Russia against Maskhadov government troops and Islamist insurgents
- With the return of Russian rule over Chechnya in July 2000, started the “guerrilla phase” of the conflict
- Kadyrov was appointed as acting President of the Chechen Republic by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and was elected President of the Chechen Republic on 5 October 2003
- The Akhmat SF acted as bodyguards to Kadyrov, who was the target of several assassination attempts
- While still only a local militia Akhmat SF functioned as an unofficial part of the Chechen Republic’s state police, Akhmat was never sactioned by the Kremlin
- In May 2003, the group established effective control over the Chechen OMON (State Police Force) estimated strength of 300 men and a stronghold of anti-Kadyrov opposition, which grew to 7000 by 2005
- It was led by Musa Gazimagomadov, who died in a road accident under “strange circumstances”
Image of Putin & Ramzan Kadyrov Courtesy of New York Times
Bought and Paid For- Russia Owns Chechnya
- The Chechen Government is Funded 80% by Moscow-In Return Russia gets a Chechen Strongman Loyal to Putin
- Chechnya’s economic model is still based on an enormous cash-out scheme established in the early 2000s, following two brutal wars fought by separatists in the Muslim-majority republic against the federal center
- In the aftermath of the Second Chechen War, the Chechen authorities rebuilt the region using money they collected from local businesses or held back from state employees’ salaries
- Chechen officials submitted vastly inflated reconstruction costs to Moscow
- The Finance Ministry was perfectly cognizant of the ruse and allocated far lower amounts than requested, but the final payout was still much greater than the actual costs, which satisfied everyone
- Several years ago, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov legitimized this scheme by publicly admitting that Chechnya was financed differently than other regions: that the federal government allocates 80 percent of Chechen expenditure is subsidized by Moscow (Carnegie Endowment, 2023)
Image Ramzan Kadyrov Courtesy of Tashkent Times
So what does Putin and the Kremlin get out of Ramzan Kadyrov?
- According to Putin “Chechnya should be headed by a Chechen, appointing a non-Chechen head of the republic would be interpreted as a gesture of distrust in the Chechen people as a whole” (Jamestown, ND)
- Russian military strategies evolved to create an effective collaborator regime by exploiting ethnic divisions
- The pro-Russian Kadyrov provided effective and expendable fighters essential to Russia achieving its political goals
- The complex Kadyrov-Russia relationship was engineered by Vladimir Putin, including through Putin’s personal relationship with current Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov
- Analyzing Chechnya and the Chechen Wars provides insight into how Russia’s sitting government approaches military engagements, clarifies the Kadyrovsty’s actions in Ukraine, and enables the creation of actionable strategies to counter Russian aggression
- Kadyrov ignores Federation laws governing conscription and state secularism
- Kadyrovtsy intimidate and assassinate regime critics abroad, especially targeting the Chechen diaspora in Europe
- Although Kadyrov’s political and military structures defy Moscow, the Putin administration tolerates this dysfunctional situation because Kadyrov effectively suppresses Chechen separatism (Army War College, 2023)
- Russia gets a stable Chechnya, run by a brutal president backed by a powerful and order following paramilitary and police force
- Ramzan uses his influence over Chechnya to appease Moscow, and keep up Russian appearances that it controls its outlier states
- Ramzan simply seeks to protect his domain, knowing how short his political life will be without Putin. He is therefore quite sincere in describing himself as Putin’s foot soldier
- Kadyrov’s lack of allies forces him to search for ways to affirm his exclusivity with the Kremlin
- The war in Ukraine has allowing him to expand his influence horizontally rather than vertically
- Chechen military and police detachments deployed in Chechnya are formally part of the ministries of defense and internal affairs (Carnegie Endowment, 2023)
Image of what is thought to be Chechen Mercenaries Courtesy of The Daily Mail
Wagner and Akhmat SF-A useful tool for Putin
- The alliance between Kadyrov and the Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is/was a purely ad hoc arrangement, since their objectives are/were very different
- Wagner and the war in Ukraine offered Prigozhin an opportunity to strengthen his positions within the Kremlin elite
- Kadyrov, unlike Prigozhin, wants to be as autonomous as possible to retain Putin’s support and ensure his survival as Chechen president
- Ramzan Kadyrov has talked about founding his own private military company upon retirement
- This would bolster his personal security, and allows Kadyrov to quelle any anti-Russian dissent or rebellion
- A Chechen Private Mercenary company would be invaluable to Putin, much as Wagner and other Russian military companies have been
- Kadyrov, if well funded by the Kremlin as a military contractor could pay billions, securing the wealth and power needed for Kadyrov and his family to remain safe and influential (Carnegie Endowment, 2023)
YouTube Video Claimed to be Chechen Kadyrovites in Ukraine
What has Chechnya’s Kadyrov Done for Putin in Ukraine?
- Kadyrov may be pushing the involvement of Akhmat forces in Ukraine, to “curry favour” in the Kremlin and with the Russian Defense Ministry
- Kadyrov took to Telegram to praise Chechen efforts in Bakhmut, denying reports that Akhmat forces were not in the destroyed city
- Kadyrov has also claimed that Chechen forces were playing a key role in fighting for the Donetsk city of Marinka
- “Akhmat forces have allegedly been fighting in Marinka for over a month and have yet to produce the significant breakthroughs that they promised
- Chechen soldiers have been present in Ukraine since the early days of the conflict
- Experts suggested that Chechen fighters were used as a cleansing force or military police, somewhat removed from the front lines, but Akhmat forces have reportedly recently deployed to Bakhmut to replace withdrawing Wagner fighters (Newsweek, 2023)
- Kadyrov has claimed that Chechnya had sent 26,000 fighters to Ukraine, 7,000 of whom were on the frontlines as of May 2023 (EuroNews, 2023)
Cannon Fodder- Jean-Francois Ratelle, Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa-Canada
- “They (Chechen Troops) have been co-opted by the Russian regime,” says Jean-Francois Ratelle, an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa, who specialises in the Chechen conflict
- “They have been given weapons, jobs, and billions of dollars from the state”
- But Ratelle was sceptical about their significance on the battlefield, likening them to a disposable private army
- “These are not elite troops,” he said. “They were most likely used as a grunt force… It’s always easier for a Chechen to be killed in a war than an ethnic Russian”
- “They were treated like cannon fodder for a while” (EuroNews, 2023)
Resources
Euronews-TikTok warriors’: What are Chechen fighters doing in Ukraine? Joshua Askew (2023) https://www.euronews.com/2023/01/20/mad-dogs-what-are-chechen-fighters-doing-in-ukraine
Newsweek-Kadyrov’s Troops ‘Crushed’ with HIMARS Near Bakhmut—Ukraine-ELLIE COOK (2023) https://www.newsweek.com/ramzan-kadyrov-chechnya-akhmat-special-forces-ukraine-russia-bakhmut-1812184
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace-Is a Power Transition in the Cards in Chechnya? Vadim Dubnov (2023) https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/89447
US Army War College Quarterly, Parameters-The Chechen Kadyrovtsy’s Coercive Violence in Ukraine-Wilson A. Jones (2023) https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3245&context=parameters
Chechnya After The Assassination: An Analysis-Publication: North Caucasus Weekly Volume: 5 Issue: 19-Lawrence Uzzell (ND) https://jamestown.org/program/chechnya-after-the-assassination-an-analysis-2/
Al Jazeera Media Network-Chechen forces sign contract with Russia after Wagner’s refusal-NEWS AGENCIES (2023) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/12/chechen-forces-sign-contract-with-russia-after-wagners-refusal
