Kadyrov was widely seen to be a puppet leader of Russian Preisdent Vladimir Putin who helped secure his election last fall by orchestrating the removal of his chief opponents. After Kadryrov’s controversial election, Putin declared the war in Chechnya to be over. But now the Christian Science Monitor is reporting Putin’s plan for stabilizing occupied Chechnya is in tatters.

One Chechen expert in Moscow said, “This blow is comparable to the Americans losing their top administrator in Iraq.”

Putin announced that the Kremlin-appointed prime minister of Chechnya would serve as acting president until elections are held.