Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has reportedly been taken ill with Covid-19

Rumors of the strongman’s evacuation to Moscow on private jet have been circling in anonymous social media channels since Wednesday. But tentative confirmation only came on Thursday, with Russian news agency Interfax citing an unnamed hospital source saying he was hospitalized with suspected Covid-19.

Mr. Kadyrov’s press secretary was unavailable for comment.

According to Baza, a social media channel closely linked to Russian law enforcement, Mr. Kadyrov arrived in Moscow on Wednesday evening and has been diagnosed with viral pneumonia.

“Kadyrov was evacuated to one of the best clinics in the Russian capital on [Wednesday],” the channel reported. “He complained of the first symptoms a few days ago. Later his condition deteriorated and doctors recommended he receive medical help in Moscow.”

Other media suggest the Chechen leader made the trip to Moscow a day later, on Thursday, noting a special flight left Grozny for the capital at 2.30 pm local time.

Chechnya, a war-scarred republic in Russia’s southern mountains, has been under strict lockdown since early April. Official statistics suggest a total of 1026 have been infected locally. Given issues over testing accuracy, it is likely the number is several orders higher.

It is immediately not clear how Mr. Kadyrov could have been infected. Both he and his officials made televised trips to hospitals treating Covid-19 patients in recent weeks — but only with the protection of expensive hazmat suits and respirators. In late April, Mr. Kadyrov reported that the head of his epidemic task force had fallen ill with the virus.

Mr. Kadyrov assumed power in 2004 after his father, Akhmad Kadyrov was assassinated in a bomb blast in Grozny stadium. Since then, the tiger-loving warrior has forged a reputation for extravagance and terror, with several high-profile critics meeting their ends in suspicious circumstances.