The director of the Russian National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, presented the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, with the epaulettes of an army general and a maroon beret, TASS reports.
Zolotov stated that Kadyrov was promoted in rank by President Vladimir Putin. He, Zolotov, was instructed to "convey" Putin's decree to Kadyrov and to present him with the golden epaulettes of an army general.
"But that is not all. Three days ago we marked another anniversary of the creation of the departmental special forces, in which the tradition of presenting the maroon beret was born. And as a token of appreciation… it was decided to present Army General Kadyrov with this most important symbol," Zolotov added.
In turn, Kadyrov awarded the director of the Russian National Guard the title of Hero of the Chechen Republic.
Previously, Kadyrov held the rank of colonel general; he received it in 2022. The rank of army general is de facto the highest in the Russian army: only the rank of marshal is higher, but it has not been conferred on anyone since 1997.
The maroon beret is considered the highest form of distinction in the special forces units of the Russian National Guard and some other security services. To receive it, one must pass a series of tests, which sometimes end in the death of participants. Nothing is known about Ramzan Kadyrov's participation in these tests. At the same time, he had worn a maroon beret before as well.
