Teenage Son Of Kremlin-Backed Chechen Leader Hospitalized After Car Accident, Sources Say

The teenage son of Chechnya's Moscow-backed leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, Adam Kadyrov, is reportedly in serious condition following a car accident in the republic's capital, Grozny.

Sources told RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service that following the January 16 accident, Adam Kadyrov, 18, was "in intensive care" and had been taken to Chechnya's largest medical facility, Republican Hospital in Grozny, and nearby roads closed.

"He is reportedly in intensive care and unconscious. We do not know for certain what is going on with Kadyrov's son," one of the sources in Grozny said. "The roads to the hospital are closed because Adam was brought there."

"The car lost control while in motion and then crashed into some kind of barrier," he explained.

Another source, a representative of the Chechen diaspora, told RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service a similar account.

Later in the day, a different source said that Adam Kadyrov had regained consciousness, adding that the plane with teenager was about to take off to Moscow for medical treatment.

Local opposition movement NIYSO has also reported the accident, saying Adam Kadyrov's convoy "was moving at high speed, car after car, when it suddenly encountered an obstacle."

"As a result, the cars began crashing into one another, which is why we are receiving information that there are many injured," NIYSO wrote in a Telegram post. "But the commotion was specifically because of Adam."

In a comment to RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service, a representative of the movement said the information had come to them from various sources, but underlined they cannot yet speak with certainty about the condition of the Chechen leader's son.

One of the many children of Ramzan Kadyrov, a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Adam Kadyrov has gained significant attention in recent years.

That prominence is largely the result of coverage by state media in Chechnya, where he is portrayed as a brave youth who has fought in Russia's war against Ukraine and has excelled in sporting and military competitions.

His notoriety surged after a video was posted online showing him, then 15 years old, beating Nikita Zhuravel, a Russian political prisoner who had who had been accused of burning a Koran and arrested.

Following the incident, Adam Kadyrov was showered with awards, including the title of Hero of the Republic of Chechnya, the region's highest honor, and received further accolades from several Russian regions.

In recent years, Ramzan Kadyrov has promoted several of his children to high-ranking positions in Chechnya's government.

In April 2025, Adam was named secretary of the regional Security Council, stoking speculation that Kadyrov could be grooming him as a potential successor. It was also partly fueled by rumors about the Chechen leader's ill health.

Later in 2025, the 17-year-old celebrated his wedding at an undisclosed location. Kadyrov later posted a note on his Telegram account thanking Putin for congratulating Adam, writing: "You still remain his most devoted FRIEND, preserving this beautiful male tradition."