The key facts

  • According to Verstka, the unit includes 19 people, including Adam Kadyrov — mostly sons of Chechen officials and security officers
  • The unit's purpose is not disclosed; Adam Kadyrov called the members 'people of word, honor and discipline'
  • Earlier, the younger Kadyrov was involved in high-profile incidents: the beating of Nikita Zhuravel in a pre-trial detention center, and reports of a car accident in early 2026

A unit made up of the elite's sons

18-year-old Adam Kadyrov, son of the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, has created an armed unit that includes sons of representatives of the local elite. This was reported by the outlet Verstka, which examined a photograph published by Kadyrov on Instagram. The picture shows Adam Kadyrov and 18 other young men; according to journalists, most of them are sons of high-ranking officials and representatives of law enforcement agencies.

Who joined 'Team K-13'

Among the members of the unit, named 'Team K-13', the outlet names 30-year-old Abubakar Kadyrov, a nephew of the head of Chechnya; 18-year-old Ramzan Matsuev, a relative of the husband of Kadyrov's daughter Aishat; as well as two nephews of Ramzan Kadyrov's wife Medni — 21-year-old Dokku Aidamirov and 23-year-old Minkail Usmanov. In addition to members of the Kadyrov family, the unit includes 18-year-old Ramzan Daudov, son of Chechen Prime Minister Magomed Daudov; 36-year-old Shamil Iraskhanov, a relative of Apti Iraskhanov, head of the Interior Ministry directorate for Grozny; and 19-year-old Khas-Magomed Naurbiev, son of Magomed Naurbiev, deputy commander of the 'Akhmat' special rapid response unit.

The unit's goals are unknown

Adam Kadyrov stated that the members of 'Team K-13' are 'people of word, honor and discipline, ready to carry out any assignment regardless of place and time.' What exactly the unit was created for is not reported.

Previous high-profile episodes

In 2023, Adam Kadyrov found himself in the media spotlight after beating Nikita Zhuravel, who was accused of burning the Quran, in a pre-trial detention center in Grozny. The police of Chechnya refused to open a criminal case over the beating. After that, the son of the head of the republic received the title Hero of Chechnya and several orders, and was also appointed secretary of the republic's Security Council. In early 2026, media reported that Adam Kadyrov had been in a serious car accident and was hospitalized, after which his spleen was removed; later Ramzan Kadyrov called the information about his son's accident a fake. In June 2026, Adam Kadyrov published a video in which he drives a Range Rover while simultaneously violating several traffic rules.

Photo: Verstka