Police in the Moscow region recently arrested two men suspected of attempting to assassinate a former Chechen and Ingush official with ties to the late father of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The arrests took place in the town of Odintsovo and included an alleged hitman as well as the individual who hired him. Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk shared a video of masked agents storming an apartment, making at least one arrest, and interrogating a man in connection with the shooting and hospitalization of Sherip Alikhadzhiyev in the village of Lapino. Alikhadzhiyev, an ethnic Chechen, had held government positions in Chechnya and Ingushetia in the early 2000s and was known as a close ally of former Chechen leader Akhmat Kadyrov, who was assassinated in 2004.
Following the hospitalization of Alikhadzhiyev, there were reports that he serves as an aide to State Duma lawmaker Vladimir Shamanov, although Shamanov appeared to deny these claims. It was also reported that the alleged shooter of Alikhadzhiyev was a previously convicted Ukrainian citizen, with the second suspect identified as Bashir Omarkhodzhayev, a native of Ingushetia who owned a recently registered construction business. The shooting of Alikhadzhiyev occurred on the same day that Ramzan Kadyrov declared a “blood feud” against two State Duma lawmakers and one senator following a deadly shootout outside the Moscow headquarters of Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries. It remains unclear whether there is a connection between Alikhadzhiyev’s shooting and Kadyrov’s comments about the blood feud.
The ongoing tensions and violence surrounding Alikhadzhiyev’s shooting point to a larger power play and escalation of influence by Ramzan Kadyrov in the region. Kadyrov had previously accused Alikhadzhiyev of being involved in crimes while serving in the Ingush administration, indicating a longstanding animosity between the two figures. The involvement of a Ukrainian citizen and an Ingushetia native in the attempted assassination raises questions about the motives and allegiances behind the attack. The connection to Kadyrov’s “blood feud” pronouncement adds another layer of intrigue to the situation, hinting at complex political dynamics at play in the region.
The arrest of the two suspects in the assassination attempt sheds light on the potential involvement of external actors and the reach of political rivalries in the Moscow region. The fact that the alleged hitman and the person who hired him were apprehended suggests progress in the investigation and potential unraveling of the motives behind the attack on Alikhadzhiyev. The conflicting reports about Alikhadzhiyev’s role as an aide to a State Duma lawmaker and the identities of the suspects add to the mystery surrounding the incident. The timing of the shooting in relation to Kadyrov’s statement about a blood feud further complicates the situation and hints at a broader power struggle at play.
In the face of challenges to independent journalism in Russia, news outlets like The Moscow Times continue to report on critical events and developments, including the recent assassination attempt on Sherip Alikhadzhiyev. The labeling of The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization and a “foreign agent” underscores the importance of supporting open and unbiased reporting in the country. The efforts of journalists to provide accurate information and shed light on issues of public interest, such as political violence and power struggles, are crucial in promoting transparency and accountability in society. By standing with independent media outlets like The Moscow times, individuals can contribute to upholding the values of freedom of the press and the right to access information in challenging political environments.
