Son of Putin warlord fighting for life after accident in Chechnya

 The son of a Vladimir Putin warlord and his chosen successor is fighting for his life following a high speed crash.

Adam Kadyrov, 18, was airlifted by “flying hospital” on a two hour flight from Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, to Moscow several hours after the collision. The 'crown prince', the son of Ramzan Kadyrov, was reportedly in a critical condition in a hospital today after the crash where his vehicle was travelling "at very high speed".

It is understood he was moved by emergency medical helicopter to the rooftop of the Botkin Hospital in Moscow. Ramzan - a key backer of Vladimir Putin’s war who has sent tens of thousands of troops to fight for the dictator in Ukraine - is himself believed to be seriously ill.

He has been seeking to manoeuvre Putin to accept Adam - one of his 15 children by three polygamous wives - as his successor as ruler of mountainous Chechnya, despite his young age.

Adam was reportedly in a convoy in Grozny when it suddenly encountered an “obstacle”, triggering a pile-up involving multiple vehicles. Sources told Kavkaz.Realii that the teenager himself was driving, and that his car was the first in the motorcade when it struck a fence.

“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 even in a coma. Others reports, citing medical sources, said he regained consciousness and that doctors believed his condition “does not cause concern”.

But if so that would not fit in with the evident rush on an emergency ministry aircraft to a top Moscow hospital, with other accounts indicating Adam was "fighting for his life". There were also unconfirmed reports of others wounded including his bodyguards.

Two aircraft — including a Russian state An-148-100EM “flying hospital” — flew urgently from Grozny to the Russian capital, landing within minutes of each other at Vnukovo Airport at around 01:10 Moscow time today. The second plane - an Airbus ACJ319 - is linked closely to Chechen ruler Kadyrov.

The Chechen and Russian authorities have remained silent on the crash and the identities of those injured, and details of the incident have come from Kadyrov foes and independent media linked to one of Russia’s most repressive regions, including opposition movement NIYSO.

In the aftermath of the crash, Google Maps recorded road closures along key central arteries in Grozny — including Putin Avenue and Kadyrov Avenue — while Yandex.Navigator and 2GIS showed traffic jams near the hospital and on the road from Argun into the city. A video showed ambulances moving through traffic jams, while witnesses described a heavy presence of security forces and government vehicles.

State-run outlet Chechnya Today issued only a narrow denial — rejecting early rumours that UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev had been injured in the car crash, saying he was “in Dubai and doing well.” Adam has been given a string of honours by his father and others amid a campaign to make him acceptable as future ruler of Chechnya.

Adam is already the security chief in this Russian region. The teenager also oversees the Vladimir Putin University of Russian Special Forces in Gudermes, two Defence Ministry battalions, the entire Chechen Interior Ministry, while heading his father's personal security service.

When Adam married last year aged 17, he was seen celebrating the nuptials by firing in the air from a gold pistol while at the wheel of a Geländewagen for which he was too young to hold a licence. He was seen wearing a £5.1 million Swiss-made Billionaire Ashoka watch with 189+ carats by US company Jacob & Co.

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.”