The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, claims that President Vladimir Putin has promoted him in rank for the second time in six months, and now he is a colonel-general of the Russian army, TASS reports.

“I want to share another piece of good news with you. The President of Russia awarded me the rank of colonel general. Decree issued under number 709. Volodymyr Volodymyrovych [Putin] he personally informed me about this and congratulated me,” Kadyrov wrote in his Telegram channel.

He also said that today Putin sent him greetings, when Chechens celebrate the day of the capital city of Grozny, the day of the teacher and the day of the Chechen youth.

“The head of state called me and asked me on his behalf to wish well-being, luck and success to all residents of the Chechen Republic! Despite his busy schedule, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief never forgets important data in our region,” he added.

The head of Chechnya noted that in connection with the “special military operation” in Ukraine this year, the festive program does not include entertainment events, but “creative groups” and artists will sing spiritual and patriotic compositions, honor the heroes of the Motherland and tell about their feat.

Ramzan Kadyrov says that he was promoted in March

In late March, Chechnya’s leader announced that Vladimir Putin had given him the rank of lieutenant general in the Russian army after being promoted to major general two years ago.

But then the announcement was met with skepticism. First, Kadyrov did not announce the promotion himself, as on March 28 he was publicly congratulated on the promotion by the head of the Chechen parliament and one of his ministers.

Secondly, the decree on his promotion was not published either on the website of the Kremlin or on the website of the Ministry of Defense in Moscow.

Of course, Kadyrov accepted the promotion, including entering into a polemic on this topic with Kremlin press secretary Dmytro Peskov.

In early April, Peskov gave an interview to Belarusian state television and asked about Kadyrov’s promotion.

Quarrel between two assistants of Vladimir Putin

“I haven’t seen the decree yet. As soon as we see it, if it is not classified – and these are secret documents, with a seal and a signature – if it is open, then it will be published, of course,” answered Vladimir Putin’s press secretary.

Kadyrov reacted to his claims, noting in his Telegram channel that “I was really surprised when Peskov did not comment on the awarding of the rank of lieutenant general to me, face, because he did not see the decree.”

“Here, with all the security forces and volunteers, we are engaged in a special operation day and night (…) “I did not see the decree” – but a coward who fled the country at a time of instability, allegedly for vacation, and he returned to the political scene at a moment of calm, it is assumed that from vacation, he is a real patriot,” Ramzan Kadyrov commented ironically.

But TASS notes that on April 7, 3 days after this long-distance dispute between two of the most loyal aides of the Russian president, the commander of the North Caucasus District of the Russian Guard Serhiy Zakharov read the corresponding decree at a solemn ceremony and presented Kadyrov with epaulettes.

However, it is not clear whether Ramzan Kadyrov is a general in the Russian army, as he claims, or in the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya), which explains why he was presented with epaulettes by the commander of this separate unit of Moscow’s armed forces.

Adam Delimkhanov, one of Kadyrov’s close associates, heads the Chechen branch of the Russian Guard.

Russia’s National Guard, a force created for domestic use but sent to fight in Ukraine, reports directly to Putin and is commanded by Viktor Zolotov, one of the leader’s trusted generals in the Kremlin.

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