The 31-year-old president of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, was engaged in a showdown with a military rival after their heavily armed motorcades collided earlier this month.

A 50-vehicle convoy guarding Kadyrov, who keeps a lion and a tiger as pets, ran into a column of troops and bodyguards led by Badruddi Yamadayev, the brother of a commander backed by Moscow.

With vehicles from the rival groups blocking the road, both sides refused to give way. Dozens of burly camouflaged troops clutching semi-automatic AK-47 rifles and hand grenades exchanged angry threats. A fight broke out and machinegun fire traced the sky.

Eventually Kadyrov, anxious to avoid an immediate blood-bath, walked up to Badruddi and, after a brief chat, the men exchanged a bear hug.

The gesture proved deceptive. Two hours after the incident, which ended with the two convoys speeding off in opposite directions, Kadyrov dispatched hundreds of troops to the base of the Vostok Battalion, a pro-Moscow elite commando unit headed by Badruddi’s elder brother, Sulim Yamadayev.

The only armed unit in Chechnya not controlled by a Kadyrov loyalist, the Vostok is under the command of the defence ministry in Moscow.

Kadyrov’s men surrounded the heavily guarded base for three days, demanding that Badruddi be handed over to face trial.

Two guards were killed by Kadyrov’s men during the siege. Badruddi escaped and is now in hiding.

“They are bandits,” fumed his brother Sulim. “They killed two of my men, two fighters employed by Russia’s defence ministry, and dumped them in a field like dogs.”

The clash highlights the volatility of the oil-rich Caucasus republic, despite a fragile peace since separatist rebels were viciously suppressed and Grozny, the capital, was recaptured by the Russians in February 2000.

Kadyrov, a former boxer who has run Chechnya with an iron fist for four years since his father, the former president, was assassinated, claimed that the Yamadayev brothers were linked to serious crimes, including murder and abduction.

“A criminal must be in jail, the law is universal,” he said.

The infighting poses a dilemma for Moscow, which is keen to portray Chechnya as one of the great successes of Vladimir Putin’s eight-year presidency. After nearly a decade of war, Chechnya is being rebuilt and is relatively peaceful.

Putin has awarded both men the title Hero of Russia, the country’s highest military honour. While Kadyrov enjoys the Kremlin’s backing, Sulim Yamadayev is supported by powerful figures in Russian military intelligence.

“The truth is that both Kadyrov and Yamadayev are thuggish characters,” said a Kremlin adviser. “But they restored order and did some of the dirty work. It’s no surprise that they’re now turning against each other.”

Video: Pro-Russian Warlord Ramzan Kadyrov

Video: Ramsan Kadyrow

Video: Ramzan Kadyrov and his forces

Video: Sulim Yamadayevs group takes out Chechen rebels

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