The head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, nearly drowned on Thursday while vacationing in the Turkish resort town of Bodrum, according to Turkish media outlets.
The incident is said to have occurred at a five-star hotel in the Kaynar district of Bodrum, located in Muğla Province.
According to media reports, Kadyrov had entered the water for a swim when he “suddenly began to lose consciousness” and slipped beneath the surface.
Turkish Coast Guard officers and hotel staff noticed he was in distress and intervened.
Emergency responders provided first aid at the scene before transferring Kadyrov to a private clinic, where his condition was later described as stable.
News sources stated that after undergoing medical evaluation and observation, he was found to be in no “life-threatening condition".
There has been no official statement released by Chechen authorities yet.
The 48-year-old Chechen leader, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had been vacationing on the Aegean coast when the incident occurred.
The Kremlin has relied on Kadyrov to maintain stability in the North Caucasus following years of turmoil, albeit by his own rules and at any cost.
Ramzan inherited the position from his father, Akhmad Kadyrov, a turncoat who originally declared war against Moscow during the first Chechen conflict.
By the time of the Second Chechen War in 1999, both Akhmad and Ramzan — who served as his father's personal driver and bodyguard — defected to the Russian side.
Both Putin — who went from being the FSB director at the time to being appointed as Russian prime minister — and Kadyrov rose to prominence during the Second Chechen War, which experts and intelligence sources believe was instigated by Putin himself.
Although Kadyrov has since been criticised for using extrajudicial killings, torture and silencing dissenters, Russian authorities have stonewalled demands for investigations.
The health of the Chechen leader is reportedly worsening rapidly, and it is said he attempted to resign in May. However, according to reports, Putin is opposed to Kadyrov being succeeded by his son Adam, who is 17.
Bodrum is a popular destination among wealthy people and regional elites, including Russians.
