Moscow Patriarch Kirill congratulated the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, on his 50th birthday and awarded him the Order of Glory and Honour.

This was reported on the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In his congratulatory message, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said that Kadyrov had proved himself to be “a strong-willed, determined and responsible leader”, while under his leadership the Chechen Republic “has achieved significant success in the socioeconomic sphere, in ensuring security, and in fostering interreligious peace and civic harmony”.

“In recognition of your achievements and on the occasion of this significant personal milestone, I consider it fitting to award you the Order of Glory and Honour, First Class,” the congratulatory message reads.

International bodies have accused Ramzan Kadyrov of human rights violations, political killings, abductions, torture and waging an aggressive war. Most Western countries, including the United States, EU member states, the United Kingdom and Canada, have placed Kadyrov under sanctions over the suppression of dissent and his involvement in the war against Ukraine.

As LF reported, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow sent congratulations to the heads of Russian occupation administrations in the seized territories of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions on the occasion of the “Day of Reunification with the Russian Federation”. On 30 September 2022, Russia declared the annexation of these four partially occupied regions of Ukraine.

It was previously reported that the Moscow Patriarchate publishing house had released a new book by Russian Orthodox Church head Kirill (Gundyaev), War: Beyond Visible Causes and Consequences. In it, the Moscow Patriarch speaks of the “historical duty of Russians to be victors” and, in particular, justifies the aggression against Ukraine.