Depardieu has Chechnyan fling

French actor Gerard Depardieu has continued his dalliance with Russia by hitting the dance floor in the Republic of Chechnya.

Depardieu, who has been at the centre of a heated debate over tax exiles in France, in January received a Russian passport from president Vladimir Putin.

On Saturday he officially became resident of Saransk, a city of 300,000 about 400 miles east of Moscow.

Depardieu flew to Chechnya’s capital Grozny and was treated to a lavish dinner by Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been ruling Chechnya with an iron fist since 2004.

The two men joined each other for the region’s highlander dance, known as lezginka.

Kremlin-backed Mr Kadyrov is a warlord’s son who has been accused of grave rights abuses.