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Adam Kadyrov, 18, was reportedly rushed to hospital by air ambulance after the horror collision.
07:31, Sat, Jan 17, 2026 Updated: 08:15, Sat, Jan 17, 2026
Ramzan Kadyrov with his teenage son Adam Kadyrov (Image: EAST2WEST)
The son and chosen successor of Vladimir Putin's warlord Ramzan Kadyrov was reportedly in a critical condition in a Moscow hospital today after a high-speed car crash. Adam Kadyrov, 18, was airlifted to Moscow after the smash, with reports saying he is being treated at the elite Botkin Hospital following an emergency evacuation from Chechnya.
The teenager was flown on a specialist "flying hospital" aircraft on a two-hour flight from Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, several hours after the collision. One report said the so-called "crown prince" was transferred by emergency medical helicopter to the rooftop helipad of the Moscow hospital in the early hours.
His father Ramzan - a key backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war - has sent tens of thousands of troops to fight for the Kremlin in Ukraine and is himself widely believed to be seriously ill.
Kadyrov has been manoeuvring to secure Moscow’s blessing for Adam - one of his 15 children by three polygamous wives - to succeed him as ruler of mountainous Chechnya, despite the teenager’s age
According to reports, Adam was travelling in a motorcade "at very high speed" in Grozny when it suddenly encountered an "obstacle", triggering a pile-up involving several vehicles.
Sources told Kavkaz.Realii that Adam himself was driving and that his car was first in the convoy when it struck a fence.
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Adam Kadyrov pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin (Image: east2west news)
"He lost control at high speed," one source said.
Adam was initially taken to the Republican Clinical Hospital in Grozny amid claims he was unconscious and may even have been in a coma.
Other reports, citing medical sources, claimed he later regained consciousness and that doctors believed his condition "does not cause concern."
However, the dramatic decision to rush him to Moscow on an emergency aircraft has fuelled speculation, with separate accounts insisting the teenager was "fighting for his life."
There were also unconfirmed reports that others - including bodyguards - were injured in the crash. Flight tracking data showed two aircraft leaving Grozny urgently, including a Russian state An-148-100EM flying hospital, which landed at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow at around 1.10am.
A second plane - an Airbus ACJ319 closely linked to the Kadyrov leadership - landed within minutes of the first.
Chechen and Russian authorities have remained silent, with details emerging only from opposition activists and independent media linked to one of Russia’s most repressive regions, including the NIYSO movement.
In the aftermath, Google Maps recorded road closures along key central routes in Grozny - including Putin Avenue and Kadyrov Avenue - while Yandex.Navigator and 2GIS showed traffic jams near hospitals and on the Argun road.
Video footage appeared to show ambulances forcing their way through gridlocked traffic, as witnesses reported a heavy presence of security forces and government vehicles.
State-run outlet Chechnya Today issued only a narrow denial, dismissing rumours that UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev had been injured, insisting he was "in Dubai and doing well."
Adam has been showered with honours and senior roles amid a sustained campaign to present him as Chechnya’s future ruler.
Despite his age, he is already security chief in the region and oversees the Vladimir Putin University of Russian Special Forces in Gudermes, two Defence Ministry battalions, the entire Chechen Interior Ministry, and his father’s personal security service.
When Adam married last year aged 17, he was filmed celebrating by firing a gold pistol into the air while driving a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, despite being too young to legally hold a licence.
He was also seen wearing a £5.1 million Swiss-made Billionaire Ashoka watch, encrusted with more than 189 carats, produced by luxury firm Jacob & Co.
Adam Kadyrov fires a gun into the air on his wedding day in June of last year (Image: East2West News)
Giving his blessing to the wedding, Putin told Kadyrov senior: "I congratulate you and your loved ones, and most importantly - the person who most deserves congratulations today - your son - on his wedding."
"I wish him, his wife, and your whole family all the best, happiness, health, and prosperity! Don't mistreat them, or they'll complain to me."
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