Chechen leader asks for Putin's approval to resign

Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Chechnya, has announced that he has formally requested to be relieved of his post. [The Chechen Republic, also known as Chechnya, is a federal subject of the Russian Federation; the Ukrainian parliament has recognised it as the temporarily Russian-occupied territory of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria – ed.]

Source: Kadyrov in a comment to Chechnya Segodnya, a local Chechen news outlet; Kremlin-aligned Russian news agencies RBC and RIA Novosti

Details: Journalists had asked Kadyrov about rumours of his departure.

Quote from Kadyrov: "I've heard those rumours too. People write all sorts of things. On the contrary, I have submitted a request to be relieved of my duties. Someone else will have their own initiatives, their own vision. I hope that my request will be granted."

Details: RBC has sent an enquiry to Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.

RIA Novosti quotes Kadyrov as saying that many have misunderstood his recent comments regarding his resignation: "I can ask, but only the president makes the decision."

Background: An investigation by the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe has reported that Kadyrov’s health is significantly deteriorating, triggering a change of power in Chechnya.

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