Chechnyan street renamed in honour of Putin

One of the main streets in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, has been renamed in honour of the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a former separatist rebel who now pledges allegiance to Moscow and has rebuilt Chechnya using Moscow's money, said: "Today I can say with certainty, that 99 per cent of the population of Chechnya trust Putin and support the Russian leadership," he said. "As a sign of the Chechen people's gratitude Victory Avenue will now bear the name of our national leader – Vladimir Putin."

Mr Kadyrov has said Mr Putin is more important to him than the President Dmitry Medvedev. "It's our sign of respect to the man who has done so much for the country and for all of us," he said.