What is known about the classified incident involving Adam Kadyrov in Grozny?

THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC, OR CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN AGENT MEMO.

Reports of an accident involving Adam Kadyrov's motorcade on January 16, 2026, in Grozny were followed by a wave of conflicting reports. Sources claimed that Adam Kadyrov himself and his entourage were injured; official agencies did not confirm the incident, but Kadyrov Jr. ceased appearing in public.

Accident Reports

On January 16, 2026, according to sources, the motorcade of Adam Kadyrov, who was named as Ramzan Kadyrov's preferred candidate for his successor, was involved in a traffic accident in Grozny. He and his entourage were injured. ¹.

Initially, opposition sources 1 reported that Adam Kadyrov was taken to the intensive care unit of the Republican Clinical Hospital of Grozny in serious condition, while the roads to the hospital were blocked. According to them, other victims were taken to the same hospital after the accident, but their exact number and the severity of their injuries were not specified.

The information about the accident involving Adam Kadyrov has not been officially confirmed. There are also no photos or videos online from the alleged accident site, despite reports of major traffic jams on the approaches to Grozny during daylight hours on January 16.

According to sources, Adam Kadyrov may have been transported to Moscow for treatment on an EMERCOM ambulance after the accident, but neither his diagnosis nor information about the progress of his treatment have been officially disclosed. ² According to Flightradar24, on the day of the accident, an EMERCOM An-148-100EM ambulance (flight SUM9108) departed from Grozny for Moscow. ³ Ramzan Kadyrov's Airbus ACJ319 aircraft also arrived from Dubai to Grozny at around 8:00 PM Moscow time on January 16, 2026, and later, on the night of January 17, 2026, landed at Vnukovo Airport. [This text appears to be incomplete and likely a mistranslation.] There are also reports that security forces checked the phones of medical personnel at the hospital where Adam Kadyrov was taken to prevent information leaks. They conducted "explanatory work" with the medical staff about the inadmissibility of disclosing information about the younger Kadyrov's condition. h ⁵.

On January 21, 2026, the publication "Agency"*, citing a source close to the Russian presidential administration, reported that the son of the head of Chechnya was on the mend – it was claimed that Kadyrov Jr. "was not seriously injured" in the accident.

Versions of what happened

According to sources, Adam Kadyrov's motorcade was traveling at high speed, "car after car," when an obstacle appeared in the road, leading to a collision between several cars and multiple injuries. It is alleged that Adam Kadyrov, along with his associates, was heading that day to a celebration to mark the birthday of Khamzat Kadyrov, the nephew of the head of Chechnya.

The names of the injured and their status are not reliably known. Several publications claimed 2 that Adam himself was driving the car in the first car of the motorcade. According to another version, Apti Iraskhanov (nephew of the head of the republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs, Aslan Iraskhanov), the head of Kadyrov Jr.'s security detail, could have been behind the wheel. He suffered a fractured cervical vertebra. Two other guards were also in the car.

Initial reports spoke of "several injured." Sources 3 claimed that other participants in the accident were also taken to the hospital. Some reports also suggested the death of one of the security guards, but neither the name, age, nor position were officially confirmed. Some media outlets later reported that the obstacle that obstructed Adam Kadyrov's Gelandewagen was a car that was pulling out onto the road on a green light at the time, and that the driver of that car was killed. However, there was no reliable confirmation of this information.

Accident Location

According to sources, the accident may have occurred on a section of the Staropromyslovskoye Highway in Grozny, but the exact geolocation, intersection layout, and technical parameters of the traffic situation are unknown. Later, on January 19, 2026, the Grozny mayor's office announced the "second stage of construction of a transport interchange" in the area of ​​Staropromyslovskoye Highway ⁶. This information raised questions among commentators about whether the announced construction was a way to cover up the traces of the incident. Simultaneously, Telegram channels and media outlets reported that a traffic police officer was held responsible for the accident, allegedly failing to ensure complete closure of traffic for the motorcade. ⁷.

Attempt at a Denial and a Shift in Focus

Amidst the spread of rumors about an accident involving Adam Kadyrov's motorcade and the possible presence of UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev in the car, official Chechen media on January 16 denied reports of Chimaev's death, without addressing the issue of Adam Kadyrov. The Chechnya Segodnya news agency, citing a source close to the athlete, stated that Chimaev was alive, in Dubai, and "doing well." TASS, RIA, and Interfax have not reported a single independent news story about the incident, but it is mentioned in the context of retellings.

On January 17, 2026, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov published a report on his Telegram channel about a meeting chaired by his son Adam, who was also awarded the gold medal "For Merit in Improving the Safety of Nuclear Power Plants" for ensuring the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant ⁸. As journalists found out, the video was recorded a day before the alleged accident – ​​January 15, 2026 ^{9 10}.

On January 18, Chimaev published a joint photo with Adam Kadyrov in his Instagram story**, accompanying it with the phrase in Chechen: "Whatever the road is – even with goats, even with "Horses – we don't care about anything" ¹¹

On January 20, 2026, Iskhak Chalayev, Chief of the Gudermes District Department of Internal Affairs, published a video on his Instagram page**, where he is pictured in the company of Adam Kadyrov. Both are standing in the snow. Minister of Culture Isa Ibragimov, Deputy Mayor of Grozny Khalid Kadyrov, and Chief of the Nozhai-Yurt District Department of Internal Affairs Murad Chalayev simultaneously shared separate Instagram stories** featuring old photos with Adam Kadyrov. The posts appeared coordinated and appeared amid the lack of official commentary on the incident. All stories were posted without explanation. Some social media users noted that the photos used had been previously published and were not related to recent events.

Adam has contacted

On January 22, 2026, two stories appeared on Adam Kadyrov's Instagram** account .. The first is a photograph taken no later than November 24, 2025 (meaning it is clearly not a recent photo). The second was a photo accompanied by a monologue from the series "Game of Thrones" and music by Chechen bard Timur Mutsuraev, more than 30 of whose songs are included on the federal list of extremist materials. ¹² The stories contained no date or confirmation of Adam's current condition, or that he was in good health or even in Chechnya.

On January 25, 2026, a video was published on Adam Kadyrov's Instagram page** in which he shoots into the air and then dances the lezginka. The date and location of the shooting were not indicated. Judging by the participants' clothing and the landscape in the video, it was likely recorded during the warmer months – that is, before Adam Kadyrov turned 18. 4 .

Political Aspect

Adam Kadyrov's active PR campaign and his grooming as his father's successor is driven by concerns for the family's fate and an attempt to maintain the clan's influence in the event of Ramzan Kadyrov's death, analysts previously interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" indicated.

Experts agree on one thing: that the accident involving Adam Kadyrov does not change the balance of power around the question of successor to the head of Chechnya, since without a direct decision from Moscow, none of Ramzan Kadyrov's sons will be able to lead Chechnya.

Political scientist Sergei Boyko notes that, despite Adam's promotion, "the federal center did not give Ramzan any guarantees," and any positions within the republic "do not give advantages to the heirs," since the final say remains with the Kremlin.

Blogger Islam Belokiev believes that talk of a successor is speculative nature: "Who will rule Chechnya is decided not by Kadyrov, but by the Kremlin." He believes that a more likely candidate is Magomed Daudov, who has "dramatically increased his security" and is viewed by the federal center as a manipulated candidate.

Svetlana Gannushkina, Chair of the Civic Assistance Committee*, notes that Ramzan Kadyrov's desire to promote his sons is primarily driven by a desire to ensure his family's safety.

*Added to the register of foreign agents

** The activities of Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia

Notes

1. Chechen Telegram channels reported that Adam Kadyrov was allegedly involved in a car accident // Gazeta.ru, January 16, 2026.
2. https://t.me/fortangaorg/21239
3. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/sum9108#3def2610
4. The Ministry of Emergency Situations' "flying hospital" flew to Grozny in one day and returned to Moscow // Lenta.ru, January 17, 2026.
5. ttps://www.instagram.com/chechnia_today/**
6. https://t.me/grozmerr/4932/
7. https://t.me/rucriminal_info/356
8. https://t.me/RKadyrov_95/6306
9. Chechen authorities remain silent after the accident with Kadyrov's son // sovanews.tv,
10. 19.01.2026.
11. Fighter Khamzat Chimaev published a black-and-white photo with Adam Kadyrov // Kommersant, January 18, 2026.
12. Kadyrov's son published a video of himself in a cowboy hat and with a quote from the TV series // Gazeta.ru, January 22, 2026.