Ramzan Kadyrov’s 17-year-old son Adam appointed coordinator of Chechnya’s humanitarian aid to Gaza
Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov’s 17-year-old son, Adam Kadyrov, has been appointed coordinator of humanitarian aid efforts for Gaza.
The announcement was made during a working meeting between Aslan Abdulaеv, the director of the Department for Cooperation with Religious and Public Organisations, and Usman Baysultanov, an adviser to Ramzan Kadyrov.
According to Abdulaev, delivery of the aid and oversight of the process will be handled by Baysultanov. Adam Kadyrov, who currently holds the position of Secretary of the Chechen Republic’s Security Council, was named official coordinator of the aid effort. The specific responsibilities of his role were not disclosed.
The meeting was also attended by Minkael Akhmadov, head of the charity Khaira, Khamzat Zakriev of the organisation Daimokh, and other representatives of local non-profits. According to participants, the collected donations will be sent to Gaza in the form of humanitarian shipments containing food, medicine, and other essential supplies.
It was also announced that the collection of humanitarian aid, previously suspended while distribution mechanisms were being reviewed, will now resume. The organisations Khaira, Daimokh, and Ayub will oversee the collection process.
Abdulaev emphasised that Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in support for the Palestinian people is ongoing. He noted that the Akhmat-Hadzi Kadyrov regional public foundation regularly provides assistance not only within Chechnya and across Russia, but also abroad.
Last week authorities in Chechnya temporarily halted the activities of ‘various charitable organisations collecting funds for residents of Palestine’. The announcement was made on 30 July by Akhmed Dudaev, Chechnya’s Minister for National Policy, Foreign Relations, Press and Information, who stated that the decision was due to risks related to the use of donations and to ‘non-transparent aid delivery channels’.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, Chechen authorities have demonstrated consistent support for the Palestinian side.
According to the republic’s authorities, Chechnya sent hundreds of tonnes of humanitarian cargo to Gaza and the West Bank, including medicine, food, and essential supplies. The foundation does not disclose the amount of financial donations sent. It remains unclear where the money for humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza comes from and how it is delivered there in the midst of an Israeli blockade severely limiting the entry of humanitarian aid to the strip.
In recent months, Adam Kadyrov has regularly been making headlines as he continues to accumulate new positions and awards. At the age of 15, he was appointed as the head of the personal security service of the Chechen leader. In April 2025, he was appointed to the previously nonexistent position of supervisor of the regional office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Later that same month, he assumed the role of Secretary of the Chechen Security Council.
Adam Kadyrov obtained the appointments despite being underage and having no political experience. It is not even clear whether he has completed school — it was publicly announced that he started first grade in 2015, but there has been no information about his academic progress. Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov has not stated whether his son completed school externally, so Adam Kadyrov should currently only be in the 10th grade.
In 2023, Adam Kadyrov’s name gained national attention following the publication of a video in which he was seen physically assaulting Nikita Zhuravel, a man detained on suspicion of burning a copy of the Quran. Ramzan Kadyrov publicly endorsed his son’s actions, and shortly afterwards, Adam Kadyrov was awarded the title of Hero of Chechnya.
The OMON Akhmat unit that awarded Adam Kadyrov his latest medal is one of the primary security formations within the Russian National Guard’s structure in the Chechen Republic. The unit plays a key role in maintaining public order and conducting security operations in the region.
Independent Russian media outlets have claimed in recent months that Ramzan Kadyrov is grooming Adam Kadyrov as his successor and is seeking a legal or political mechanism through which power can be transferred. However, under Russian law, direct transfer of official government positions to family members is not permitted.
Elizaveta Chukharova
