Chechen leader’s swimming incident in Bodrum leaves Russia watchers guessing

A perplexing recent incident in the Turkish Aegean resort of Bodrum might have left Russian President Vladimir Putin concerned about stability on his country’s southern border while he keeps Russia mired in the conflict in Ukraine.

On 24 July 2025, according to Turkish media reports, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who was vacationing at a five-star hotel in the Kaynar district of Bodrum, nearly drowned after getting into difficulties after entering the water for a swim. Kadyrov was subsequently rescued from the water by local security staff rather than his bodyguards, who were reportedly not on the scene at the time.

Emergency responders then provided first aid to Kadyrov before he was transferred to a private clinic, where his condition was later described as stable.

It has long been suspected that Kadyrov is terminally ill, leading some observers to speculate that the incident might have been a suicide attempt. However, even hardened Russia-watchers have been left at a loss to suggest an explanation for the bizarre incident.

Asked by ESD to comment, Mark Galeotti, a seasoned expert on Russian geopolitics and security issues, replied, “Everything to do with Kadyrov is bizarre. An attempted suicide by downing, especially when he has so many guns of his own, seems odd. So, too, does the idea that he ditched his security detail just to have a swim.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to believe and no one I know who might have a genuine idea knows either,” Galeotti added.

Kadyrov assumed his position as president of the Chechen Republic in February 2007. His father, Akhmad Kadyrov, had initially fought Russian forces in the First Chechen War (1994-1996) as a prominent militia commander. However, in the Second Chechen War (1999-2000) the elder Kadyrov switched sides to support the Russian forces in the war and ultimately became the first president of the Chechen Republic in October 2003 before being assassinated on 9 May 2004.

Chechnya has been run largely as a personal fiefdom by the Kadyrovs, who have been left to do so by Putin, who became the Russian president in March 2000, as long as they maintain absolute loyalty to Moscow.

Amid rumours about his ill health, Ramzan Kadyrov is known to want one of his elder sons, who were born between 2005 and 2007, to ultimately succeed him. However, given that Chechen law dictates that the republic’s leader must be at least 30 years old, the potential for a messy succession – and destabilisation on Russia’s southern border – is no doubt something that Putin will want to avert.