Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov issued a direct threat to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a drone strike hit a high-rise building roughly 830 meters from Kadyrov’s residence in Grozny. The strike occurred on November 5 and was attributed to Ukrainian forces, according to reports cited by Russian and Chechen authorities. Kadyrov denounced the attack as senseless and warned that Ukraine would face a severe response, emphasizing that he intended to target military infrastructure rather than civilians.
Kadyrov’s warning immediately drew international attention because it mirrors earlier claims of assassination attempts against Zelenskyy. In 2022, Ukrainian officials reported that a Chechen unit aligned with Moscow attempted to infiltrate Kyiv to eliminate the Ukrainian president, a plot officials said was successfully foiled. The new threat renews concern about Chechen involvement in Russian military operations and the possibility of direct attempts to destabilize Ukraine’s leadership.
According to a former Ukrainian official quoted in reports, Kadyrov’s message “would just be another assassination threat,” and Chechen forces remain “serious about revenge.” Despite the hostile rhetoric, sources close to Ukraine’s security services have stated that Zelenskyy remains confident in his protection and continues to operate normally. The increasing prominence of long-range drone warfare has intensified vulnerabilities for political leaders, raising broader questions about escalation risks as the conflict deepens.
Kadyrov has been one of Moscow’s most aggressive surrogates throughout the war, often using social media to issue threats against Ukrainian leadership. His latest vow of retaliation underscores the Kremlin’s continued use of regional proxies to pressure Kyiv. As Ukraine expands its drone-strike capabilities, Russia’s allied factions appear prepared to answer with heightened threats and potential targeted operations, adding to the instability surrounding both governments’ leadership structures.
