The footage shows unnatural jaw movements.
Chechen authorities have shown a video of the head of the republic Ramzan Kadyrov walking around Grozny. On this recording, he moves his jaw unnaturally. According to unofficial reports, Kadyrov is terminally ill - he himself denies it, "Radio Liberty".
The video of the Chechen leader's walk was published in his Telegram channel, the recording was also posted by local state media and the State Duma deputy from the republic Adam Delimkhanov.
The footage shows Kadyrov, surrounded by security guards and his relatives, allegedly accidentally meeting a disabled man in a square wearing a gymnast-jacket with the chevron of the Akhmat unit. It is claimed that the head of Chechnya instructed him to provide him with a car and a telephone.
Then footage is shown of people coming to take pictures with Kadyrov. At these moments, the Chechen leader can be seen moving his jaw strangely.
In December, after several postponements, Kadyrov's "direct line" was held. It was the shortest of all those he has held; for the first time, the full recording of the Chechen leader's communication with journalists and local residents was not published. He himself called information about his health problems "gossip".
At the end of the same month, Kadyrov was the only one of the leaders of the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts who did not talk about his participation in a meeting of the State Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin.
In late April, Putin received the republic's leader in the Kremlin. Against the backdrop of Kadyrov's efforts to increasingly involve his sons in the republic's governance, the Russian president said he hoped he would be re-elected in 2026.
"If you give the go-ahead, if the people elect me, then I will continue to serve you as a foot soldier and I will not let you down once," the Chechen leader replied.
Unconfirmed reports about the illness of the Chechen leader, now 49, have been circulating since 2019. In September 2023, Kadyrov's critics said he was in a coma. Last spring, Novaya Gazeta Europe wrote that the head of the republic had been living with "pancreatic necrosis" for several years. Against the backdrop of these reports, Kadyrov has repeatedly published videos designed to convince audiences of his capacity.
Late last July, according to Turkish media, the Chechen leader needed help when he went swimming in the sea in Bodrum. He allegedly began to choke and thrash in the water, and was taken to hospital. Grozny did not comment on this information.
