Kadyrov appoints 20-year-old son as deputy prime minister

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya and a close Kremlin ally, has appointed his 20-year-old son Akhmat as acting deputy prime minister of the region, Ukrainska Pravda reports.

Akhmat also retained his post as sports minister. This is another step in the vast personnel network that Kadyrov is creating from members of his family. As many as 100 relatives are reportedly serving in the Chechen government.

In the past, Kadyrov has also placed his daughter Khadyzat and another son, Adam, in high-ranking positions.

The official reasons for the personnel changes are not known, but media speculate that they may be related to the deteriorating health of Kadyrov himself, who is reported to have been hospitalised in Moscow.

(mja)