Where’s Zazou? Horse Belonging to Chechen Leader Kadyrov Stolen Near Prague

Czech police say a horse reportedly belonging to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has been stolen from a stud farm near Prague, online media Idnes reported on Tuesday.

The 16-year-old English thoroughbred ‘Zazou’ disappeared in the early hours of Saturday. He’s worth some 20,000 USD.

“Litoměřice police received a report about the theft of a horse from a stable in Krabčice. The theft probably took place on the night of March 3-4,” local police spokesman Pavel Kofrov said.

The stallion is part of the property that was sanctioned by the European Union nine years ago. The horse has a characteristic white mark on its forehead in the shape of a star.

In March 2022, the local media reported another attempt to take Zazou from the stable, together with a second Kadyrov-owned horse. About a month before Russia invaded Ukraine, two Russian-speaking men came to the barn claiming they had to move the horses to Poland. After the barn owner refused to cooperate, they spent five days camping in their trailer not far from the barn.

The horse, purchased by the Putin ally in 2012, was reportedly part of Kadyrov’s assets that were frozen following Russia’s full-scale of invasion of Ukraine last year.

The investigation is underway, the police’s representative told the media.