The US State Department has sanctioned the President of Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov and his family.

"This designation is due to Kadyrov’s involvement in gross violations of human rights in the Chechen Republic. The Department has extensive credible information that Kadyrov is responsible for numerous gross violations of human rights dating back more than a decade, including torture and extrajudicial killings.

We note that today’s action also applies to Mr. Kadyrov’s spouse, Medni Kadyrova, and his daughters Aishat Kadyrova and Karina (aka Khadizhat) Kadyrova. We will encourage likeminded countries to take similar measures", - reports the State Department.

In response to designaton, Kadyrov posted his photo being armed on Telegram with the following text: "Pompeo, we accept the challenge! It'll be more interesting in the future."