Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov congratulated Vladimir Putin on his birthday and stated that the Russian president's name holds "special significance" for the Chechen people. According to Kadyrov, the region will "never forget" the support Putin extended to his father—Chechnya’s first president, Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov—"at a time when the future of the Chechen Republic depended on the decisions being made."
A court has ordered a forensic medical examination for the arrested mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasyan. He has been sent to the Republican Medical Center in Yerevan for examination. The politician's condition is assessed as satisfactory, and there is no immediate threat to his life.
In mid-December, Ghukasyan's pretrial detention was extended for three months. The prosecutor's office cited the risk of him committing further crimes if released. Concerns were also raised regarding potential pressure on witnesses and other participants in the corruption case. Furthermore, a criminal case was opened against Ghukasyan for undermining Armenia's sovereignty due to his statements about the need for a union with Russia. This incident was later removed from the case file.
Previously, Ghukasyan's son, Spartak Ghukasyan, was sentenced to two months' detention on charges of hooliganism committed by a group of individuals using information technology.