Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has accused Russian lawmakers from neighboring regions of trying to procure of his murder and threatened blood revenge if they did not prove otherwise, the state news agency TASS reported.
According to TASS, Kadyrov made these statements during a meeting with members of the Chechen security services, and the video of the meeting was published on his personal Telegram channel. TASS translated Kadyrov's words into Russian, according to which: "There are witnesses, there are people to whom they tried to order the murder and asked them how much they would take for the order."
Kadyrov named three members of the Russian State Duma — two from Dagestan and one from Ingushetia, who he says are behind the alleged plot. "If they don't prove otherwise, I will officially declare blood revenge," he declared.
In Chechnya, blood feud is a traditional custom of taking revenge by killing the enemy or his male relatives.
Kadyrov is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has ruled Chechnya since 2007, following the assassination of his father. Putin granted him broad autonomy in governing the region in exchange for maintaining stability. Kadyrov is a major player in Russian politics and military operations, including providing troops for Russia's war in Ukraine.