For over a decade, Ramzan Kadyrov has ruled the Chechen Republic as a fearsome autocrat, blending tribal authority, religious symbolism, and Kremlin patronage into one of the most unusual political fiefdoms in the Russian Federation. As a key ally of Vladimir Putin, Kadyrov has played a visible role in the Kremlin’s domestic counterinsurgency efforts and foreign military campaigns—including the war in Ukraine. But in recent months, reports of Kadyrov’s rapidly declining health have cast doubt ov