Putin warlord Ramzan Kadyrov goes to gym and addresses commanders 'to prove ... trends now
Putin crony Ramzan Kadyrov has released a series of clips as he seeks to prove his clean bill of health amid reports he is suffering from a terminal illness.
The Head of the Chechen Republic posted videos of himself at a gym along with his acolytes, while another clip showed him chairing a meeting of his top commanders and officials.
But the scenes only deepened suspicions that the 47-year-old autocrat - key Putin ally and backer of his war against Ukraine - is seriously ill as critics said he looked like a 'clown or a weakling'.
Authoritative exiled newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe had reported Kadyrov is suffering from 'pancreatic necrosis'.
Putin 'must now decide operationally how to maintain stability when the tough Chechen dictator is no more,' the report read.
The Head of the Chechen Republic posted videos of himself at a gym along with his acolytes
The scenes only deepened suspicions that the 47-year-old autocrat - key Putin ally and backer of his war against Ukraine - is seriously ill as critics said he looked like a 'clown or a weakling'
Another clip showed him chairing a meeting of his top commanders and officials
Chechen warlord and key Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov, 47, shown in a gym with his leading acolytes in a bid to prove he is healthy
Vladimir Putin (left) and Ramzan Kadyrov
Kadyrov was this week seen speaking slowly in a monotone to his top aides - many of them uniformed - in a video released to show he was in control.
But his rambling words seemed deeply confused and his underlings appeared embarrassed as he demanded every person should be armed and ready to defend Russia.
'It doesn't matter whether you are a policeman, emergency worker, justice, judge - every person must own a weapon,' he said.
'He must know that at any time he must go to combat positions, to defend the Motherland.
'When the Motherland calls, everyone must stand guard over our state.'
His puzzling gibberish went on: 'There is the Prosecutor's Office, there is the Investigative Committee, so that they train their own, to work together with the headquarters.
'The Supreme Commander-in-Chief [dictator Vladimir Putin], commanders, defence ministers know this HQ. And they thank us for putting such a system in [Chechnya].
'We support our men who fight for the truth, for religion, for the people, for human values.
'I ask once again that you not only deal with internal, Chechen issues, but also deal with new
