Ramzan Kadyrov has long projected an image of invincibility: the iron-fisted leader of Chechnya, feared by opponents and flaunting loyalty to Moscow’s military ambitions. But recent developments reveal cracks in that carefully constructed persona – both legally and physically.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has filed war crimes charges against Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov on Sept. 1 over his treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The charges relate to statements and orders Kadyrov made last October and December. In October, he reportedly instructed subordinates to kill captured Ukrainian soldiers on the spot – a directive he rescinded three days later. In December, he allegedly ordered prisoners to be placed on the roofs of military facilities in Grozny to serve as “human shields” against Ukrainian drone strikes, citing damage caused by a strike on the Special Forces University in Gudermes.
The SBU says these actions violate the laws and customs of war and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Kadyrov was notified of the charges in absentia under Article 438 of Ukraine’s criminal code, which criminalizes cruel treatment of prisoners of war. Investigations continue under the guidance of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office. Conviction carries a prison sentence of 8 to 12 years.
This is not Kadyrov’s first brush with Ukrainian justice. In August 2022, the SBU charged him with waging an aggressive war and supporting Russia’s territorial expansion into Ukraine, along with other Chechen officials, including Daniil Martynov and Hussein Mezhidov.
Human rights groups have long accused Kadyrov of disappearances, torture, and persecution of opponents. As of March 2025, more than 150 Ukrainian prisoners of war were reportedly held in Chechnya.
New concerns about Kadyrov’s health
Meanwhile, footage circulating today shows Kadyrov appearing frail and unsteady. Observers noted that during a school event on September 1, he struggled to stand and walk, with visible difficulty moving. Some commentators described him as looking “like a living corpse.”
Kadyrov’s declining health could complicate his already precarious position. While Ukraine presses legal accountability, questions remain over whether Kadyrov can maintain authority over Chechen forces or continue active operations in Ukraine.
For Kyiv, the SBU charges are as much symbolic as legal, signaling that the Ukrainian government intends to hold Russian-aligned actors accountable for war crimes – even if prosecution in practice may be difficult.