Relations between Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin have noticeably cooled in recent months.
This was told to "Important Stories" by sources in the security services, including a former FSB officer who worked in the North Caucasus and his current colleague. This information was partially confirmed by local journalists and human rights activists.
The main reason for the tension is FSB data that Kadyrov is increasingly conducting unauthorized negotiations with representatives of Middle Eastern Muslim monarchies. He is trying to negotiate the future of his assets and the safety of his family.
Kadyrov has been seriously ill for a long time - he has problems with his kidneys and pancreas. Judging by his speeches, the disease is progressing. Despite attempts to hide the deterioration of his condition behind active media activities, he has recently been increasingly disappearing from the public space. In January and February, he was not seen for a long time, which he later explained by a vacation.
Kadyrov understands how the government in Chechnya works and what awaits his family in the event of his death. He does not trust the Kremlin's promises, so he is looking for alternative security guarantees. According to sources, he tried to hide these contacts from the Kremlin, but the FSB quickly reported everything to Putin.
In March, Kadyrov removed his 26-year-old daughter Aishat from government structures. Since 2020, she has held senior positions in the Chechen Ministry of Culture, and then became deputy prime minister. However, after relations with the Kremlin deteriorated, she left the civil service and became the owner of the Chechen Mineral Waters company, the region's largest exporter. Before that, the business was registered under the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation and controlled entities.
At the end of March, the names of Aishat and her younger sister Tabarik disappeared from the register of legal entities.
The discord with the Kremlin has also affected Kadyrov's closest ally, State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov. Since the beginning of 2025, he has refused to participate in any power conflicts, even for big money. He explains to those close to him that an order came from "the top" - it is better for Chechen leaders and security forces to stay in the shadows.
Caucasian human rights activists also talk about the conflict between Kadyrov and Delimkhanov and the Kremlin. According to Ansar Dishni, a representative of the Niyso movement, Delimkhanov was made to understand the limits of his influence clearly. He is currently staying at the President Hotel on Bolshaya Yakimanka in Moscow, which is the unofficial headquarters of Kadyrov's representatives. The Kremlin and the FSB are unhappy that Delimkhanov engaged in raiding and extortion without their approval, but the details of these schemes have not yet been disclosed.
As Apostrophe reported, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Kadyrov has tripled the size of his army . At the same time, his people are not fighting, but have begun to earn money in the occupied territories of Ukraine.