Kadyrov’s 17-year-old son becomes Secretary of Chechnya’s Security Council

Adam Kadyrov, 17, the son of Сhechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov, has become Secretary of the region’s Security Council. The move marks the sixth governmental or quasi-governmental post held by Adam Kadyrov.

Information about his appointment first surfaced on 21 April in the Security Council’s official Telegram channel.

The post, which was not an explicit announcement of him taking office, stated that a working meeting between the council’s deputy secretaries and representatives of the Emergency Ministry had taken place on Adam Kadyrov’s order as secretary of the council.

Adam Kadyrov did not personally participate in the meeting.

According to the post, Kadyrov had given instructions to carry out safety inspections at petrol stations.

The official website of the Security Council still lists Khamzat Kadyrov — Ramzan Kadyrov’s nephew — as the current secretary. He had held the position since 2016.

Khamzat Kadyrov’s last known public appearance was on 25 December 2024, the day of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan. At the time, Khamzat Kadyrov reported on the activities of Chechnya’s air defence system, publishing a video of a drone being shot down along with the comment ‘all shot down’.

The plane crash occurred en route from Baku to Grozny, during which the plane was forced to crash land near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. There were 67 people on board, 38 of whom died.

According to preliminary investigation data published by Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry on 4 February 2025, the plane was damaged due to external impact. Reuters, citing sources in the Azerbaijani government, reported that the plane could have been shot down by a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defence system.

No official decrees regarding Khamzat Kadyrov’s dismissal or Adam Kadyrov’s appointment to the post of Secretary of the Security Council have been published in open sources.

The Security Council of Chechnya was established by decree of the regional Head in 2012 and has since served as an advisory body dealing with security matters, including responses to emergency situations. The council’s composition is entirely determined by Ramzan Kadyrov.

According to publicly available information, Adam Kadyrov currently oversees the Special Forces University in Gudermes — the largest training centre for security forces in Chechnya, two battalions of the Russian Ministry of Defence, the regional Interior Ministry structure, and also heads his father’s personal security service.

Russian law stipulates that holding government positions requires a candidate to be at least 18. However, Adam Kadyrov’s appointments to various offices have yet to elicit any official reaction from federal authorities.

According to the security forces-affiliated VChK-OGPU Telegram channel, Ramzan Kadyrov asked the Kremlin in August to hand over power to Adam Kadyrov, but Russian President Vladimir Putin refused the request, leading to an alleged rise in tensions between Grozny and Moscow.

Over the past few months, Adam Kadyrov received a medal for combat distinction from the Russian National Guard — an award reserved for participants in military actions. He also received the OMON Akhmat-Grozny badge, and a certificate confirming his membership in the Arab Arbitration Court.

Adam Kadyrov came under public scrutiny in 2023 after he beat up Nikita Zhuravel, a man accused of burning the Quran, in a detention centre in Grozny.

He was granted a series of awards following the incident; he received the title Hero of Chechnya, medals and orders for services to Tatarstan, Karachay–Cherkessia, and Kabarda–Balkaria, as well as religious orders For Services to the Ummah and For Service to the Religion of Islam (1st Class), along with a number of other honours — some of which, according to Russian laws, he should have been unable to receive whilst being underage.

Kadyrov reportedly plans to ‘transfer power’ to his 17-year-old son Adam

The request by Chechnya’s head to establish a dynasty has allegedly become the cause of a conflict between Kadyrov and the Kremlin.

OC MediaElizaveta Chukharova