On June 28, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov married his third son, 17-year-old Adam, known for beating defendant Nikita Zhuravel, his collection of orders and medals, and his indecently rapid rise through the Chechen security forces. On their wedding day, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the newlyweds and their parents.

"Despite being incredibly busy with state affairs, the president found the time to personally call and congratulate them. This is invaluable. Such moments remain in our hearts for a lifetime... The Russian president also instructed me to inform the press that he called, congratulated the bride and groom, and wished them the very best! I report: the order has been fulfilled!" Ramzan Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel.
Publicly honoring Kadyrov's children as they enter family life has become a tradition for Putin.

In February 2023, he hosted the Chechen leader's eldest son, Akhmat, in the Kremlin, as he prepared for his wedding. A year later, he also "blessed" the marriage of Kadyrov's second son, Zelimkhan. Rumor has it that the caring father tried to introduce his third son, 15-year-old Adam, to the president. However, Putin declined to meet the teenager, who had recently gained notoriety for the massacre of Koran arsonist Nikita Zhuravel in pretrial detention. They met a few months later, in August 2024, during Putin's visit to Chechnya.

And on the eve of the wedding, the president met informally with Adam Kadyrov in Moscow. This was reported by Akhmed Dudayev, head of the Chechen Ministry of Nationalities and adviser to the Chechen leader, who emphasized that the meeting was "filled with warmth and sincerity."

Was there a conflict?

Such friendly contacts are truly "worth a lot," especially amid rumors of a conflict between Putin and his protégé in Chechnya. According to the publication "Important Stories," the president is displeased that Kadyrov is making behind-the-scenes arrangements with Middle Eastern monarchs for guarantees of personal and financial security for his family. Allegedly, the FSB, through its agents in the Chechen leader's entourage, learned of these negotiations and reported them to Putin.

This conflict theory is allegedly supported by Kadyrov's increasingly frequent talk of his possible resignation. Furthermore, journalists have noted that the Chechen leader's daughters have left government service. The most prominent of them, 26-year-old Aishat Kadyrova, resigned as deputy prime minister of the republic in late February, writing on her Instagram account that she "will continue to work for the good of the republic through business." She became the owner of Chechen Mineral Waters, Chechnya's largest exporter. At the same time, her two sisters, Khutmat and Khadizhat, who oversaw healthcare and education in the government, also resigned from government service.
However, according to Novaya Gazeta Evropa authors, there is no rift between Putin and Kadyrov. On the contrary, Kadyrov is fulfilling the president's orders, establishing contacts with Qatar and Syria so that Russia can maintain its military bases in Syria.

As for Kadyrov's daughters, their resignations are part of a general plan to legitimize the family business. While previously various Kadyrov enterprises were registered to front men, they now belong to the family both de facto and formally. These include not only Chechen Mineral Waters and the Firdaus fashion house, but also a pharmacy chain and taxi companies, which have achieved a market monopoly thanks to the administrative and security resources of the head of the family.

Time to think about the eternal.

The daughters' changing career aspirations, the frequent visits of family members to the UAE, and even the seemingly clumsy efforts of young Adam to establish himself in the republic's power structure seem entirely logical if we consider them as parts of a unified plan to prepare Kadyrov for the inevitable.
The "padishah's" illness has long been no secret. And although he persistently tries to appear cheerful, one gets the feeling that only the pent-up vital energy inherent in his nature keeps him afloat.
Back in 2019, doctors, according to media reports, diagnosed Ramzan Kadyrov with pancreatic necrosis. In the summer of 2020, Kadyrov contracted COVID-19 and developed endocrine problems. In September 2023, as a result of a tranquilizer overdose, he was hospitalized with acute pulmonary failure.
"Repairs," as he calls his treatments, are becoming more frequent and lengthy. The duties of the republic's leader are increasingly being transferred to the head of the republic's government, Magomed Daudov.
Realizing that he cannot pass power on by inheritance, Kadyrov is apparently strengthening his children's positions in other ways. These include purchasing real estate in Dubai and transferring entire industries, such as pharmaceuticals, to family ownership. But Kadyrov's entire empire rests on a very shaky foundation – guarantees from Putin, who himself is not eternal.
While cash flows can be redirected, the security resources are more difficult. Perhaps this is why Kadyrov so hastily appointed the underage Adam, first as the head of the non-existent "security service of the head of Chechnya," then as "curator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs," and finally as secretary of the republic's Security Council. In these positions, at a minimum, he will get to know all the key figures in Chechnya's security agencies, according to many media outlets covering Chechnya.
However, local experts rule out Adam Kadyrov's succession, even if the father wanted to hand power over to his 17-year-old son. And his age, in their view, is not the main obstacle, although it's worth remembering that the age limit for the head of Chechnya is 30.
"Kadyrov's undivided personal loyalty to the Russian president is one of the reasons why 'Putin's foot soldier,' despite his rapidly deteriorating health, retains his position. Furthermore, regardless of his physical incapacity, Ramzan Kadyrov's lifelong tenure in power is a real guarantee of maintaining the status quo in Chechnya. Vladimir Putin surely understands that as long as Ramzan Kadyrov, at least formally, leads Chechnya, no one will dare sabotage his Moscow policies. The Kremlin will use the time thus gained to prepare for the transition of power, "when what many are waiting for happens," a political scientist from a Chechen university notes in an interview with Kavkaz.Realii (on condition of anonymity, of course).