Summary Russian President Vladimir Putin promotes Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov from Colonel General to Army General, citing security and military contributions.
MOSCOW (Shahid Ghuman) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has promoted Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov to the senior military rank of Army General.
At a ceremony held in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, Russian National Guard Director Viktor Zolotov presented Kadyrov with new shoulder boards signifying the rank of Army General and a maroon beret associated with special forces.
Addressing the ceremony, Zolotov said President Putin had tasked him with conveying the presidential decree to Kadyrov, under which he was promoted from Colonel General to Army General.
According to Zolotov, the rank was awarded in recognition of Kadyrov’s role in operations against terrorism and extremism, ensuring Russia’s internal and public security, developing special forces and supporting military units involved in combat missions.
Zolotov said Kadyrov had personally participated in operations against armed groups, while the Chechen leadership had also played an important role in training and equipping various Defence Ministry and National Guard units.
Accepting the rank, Kadyrov said he regarded it as a sign of trust and acknowledged that greater rank and recognition also brought greater responsibility.
Kadyrov was previously promoted to Colonel General in October 2022. Army General is among the highest active military ranks in Russia, below the rank of Marshal of the Russian Federation, which was last awarded in 1997.
Senior Russian National Guard officials, commanders from the North Caucasus District, military personnel and other officials attended the ceremony. Several officials were also presented with state and departmental awards for bravery and service.
Kadyrov also presented Zolotov with the title of Hero of the Chechen Republic, while National Guard Deputy Director Colonel General Anatoly Malykhin was awarded the Order of Kadyrov.
