BODRUM, Turkey, July 24, 2025 — Ramzan Kadyrov, the controversial head of Russia’s Chechen Republic, was reportedly rushed to a hospital in the Turkish resort town of Bodrum after a near-drowning incident, according to Türkiye newspaper.
Kadyrov, who was on vacation in Turkey’s Muğla province, is said to have encountered difficulty while swimming and began flailing in the water. Turkish coast guard personnel intervened quickly, pulling him ashore where emergency medical staff provided first aid on site. He was then transported to a nearby hospital for observation.
Medical sources cited by local media said Kadyrov’s condition is stable and that his life is not in danger. He is expected to remain under medical supervision for a short period.
While Turkish authorities have not officially confirmed the incident, it has reignited criticism surrounding Kadyrov’s leadership back home.
Often described as one of Russia’s most authoritarian regional leaders, Kadyrov has been accused by international human rights organizations of overseeing a regime of fear, with widespread allegations of torture, extrajudicial killings, and the suppression of dissent in Chechnya.
Critics argue that the Chechen leader’s frequent lavish trips abroad — such as this one to a luxury Mediterranean resort — starkly contrast with the impoverished conditions many of his constituents endure.
His near-decade-long grip on power, supported by Kremlin backing, has raised long-standing concerns over autocracy and unchecked regional influence within the Russian Federation.
The incident in Bodrum, although apparently minor, has once again drawn public attention to the secretive and often controversial lifestyle of one of Russia’s most powerful regional figures.
