By Bond Robertson 
Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s feared dictator and close ally of Vladimir Putin, made a powerful appearance on his Telegram channel on Wednesday.
The reason is that one of Kadyrov’s horses, Zazu, was stolen.
Today it turns out that Zazu was stolen by unknown people. I’m worried Zazu might end up in the wrong hands. How could this happen? Where was the security? He writes on Telegram – and refers to the theft as a “huge shame”.
Police confirmed that the racehorse had disappeared from a stable outside Prague on Friday evening, he said Watchman.
The racehorse was previously rated one of the best in the world, but was banned from competitions in 2014 when Kadyrov was sanctioned in connection with Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Police in the city of Litoměřice are asking the public for tips on looking for the 16-year-old stallion in a post on their websites.
KADYROV’S HORSE: Zazou is said to have been stolen before the weekend. Photo: Czech Police
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A grave insult
It is not necessarily the loss of one krone or krone that bothers Kadyrov.
– As far as I know, it was considered a very serious insult in the old days, Aage Borchgrevink, adviser to the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, tells Dagbladet.
He stresses that he is not an expert on the role of the horse in traditional Chechen culture.
– But as far as I know, this is dangerous.
‘Animal friend’: Kadyrov owns a number of animals and has described himself as an animal lover on social media. Here he plays with his tiger and lion in front of soldiers from the Chechen army. Photo: Rex/NTB
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Kadyrov must own at least 128 racehorses. In total, those should have won more than $1.5 million in prizes in the years between 2014 and 2018, according to a report From the anti-corruption organization Transparency International.
He tortures people personally
According to the Czech police, Zazou is now worth around NOK 191,000. He is one of two horses Kadyrov is said to have kept in a stable near Rudnice nad Labem, 50 kilometers north of the Czech capital, he wrote. BBC.
Czech police said in a statement that the chain securing the sliding doors to the stable was removed during the night.
Photo: Czech Police
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“animal friend”
However, Kadyrov himself claims the horse is worth no less than “$10 million,” according to The Guardian. The Chechen leader reportedly bought a racehorse in Dubai in 2012.
Kadyrov owns a number of animals, and has described himself as an animal lover on social media. On his now-deleted Instagram profile, he posed for pictures with cats, crocodiles, and tigers, among other things.
“ANIMAL FRIEND” #2: One of the many cat photos from Kadyrov’s previous Instagram profile. Photo: screenshot / Instagram
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Last year, Kadyrov was promoted to lieutenant general in the Russian army for his role in the invasion of Ukraine.
according to Large Norwegian Encyclopedia He has “supported honor killings against women of bad morals” and “stated that women belong to men and that their primary mission is to bear children.”
His reputation has earned him the nickname “Putin’s attack dog,” according to him Politico.