Experts are suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be on borrowed time, with some predicting his downfall through assassination due to the catastrophic war in Ukraine. The 72 year old autocrat has reportedly ramped up his security measures and is seldom seen outside his Kremlin stronghold, fearing retribution from a Ukrainian hit squad, internal dissenters, or betrayal by those closest to him.
This alarming speculation arises amidst reports that Russia is grappling with nearly a million military casualties—dead, missing, or injured—in the conflict with Ukraine. Analysts point out that Putin’s hesitation to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey has laid bare his vulnerabilities.
Intelligence circles from the West now consider the possibility of an assassination not just a fear for Putin but a looming reality, given the disastrous toll of the ongoing war.
Adding weight to these claims, Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former head of the UK’s Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment, conveyed to the Mirror: “There are analysts, people who know better than I, who believe Putin is now a dead man walking, a spent force whose war in Ukraine will cause his end.”
He further expressed doubt about any potential face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky, saying: “I don’t think there is a chance in hell that he would or will turn up to Istanbul to face Zelensky as he would believe he could be in danger or face arrest for war crimes. Things are looking very bad in Russia as even the US now seems to be looking at conciliation with Ukraine as Trump is realising he has been played by Putin.”, reports the Mirror.
“Putin cannot keep playing for time and his bluff has been called brilliantly by Zelensky’s challenge to meet him face-to-face in Turkey. Russia in the coming months will lose a third of its income through decreased oil prices and it has lost probably a million troops to the conflict.
“He is incredibly paranoid, as we see with his increased security and I am very reliably informed by people who would know that he has at least two dopplegangers or lookalikes. He has been acting like a worried Czar and the Bolsheviks are gathering at the gates because internally things are looking really terrible. Russians cannot even buy a loaf of bread.”
Bruce Jones, one of the UK’s leading analysts in Russian intelligence and the military said: “Things never end democratically in Russia and the situation is bad for Putin. He has had people killed for years and some in his military have already been dealt with in such a way – he knows the way this goes for a leader in Moscow who is not making good decisions. So he is probably right to be paranoid.”
Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of UK forces in Afghanistan, added: “There are plenty of people who would want to have Putin bumped off. But his security is so tight that there is a real question over whether that is at all achievable and I believe that for the moment it is unlikely to happen.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thrown down the gauntlet to Vladimir Putin, proposing high-stakes talks in a bid to halt the devastating conflict that has ravaged both nations. Zelensky is set to jet off to Turkey this Thursday with the aim of brokering the initial steps towards a “true and lasting peace” in Eastern Europe, as confirmed by his chief of staff.
Although Putin has floated the idea of a Kyiv-Moscow meeting in Istanbul, his attendance remains highly improbable. Zelensky has pointedly remarked that Putin’s absence would signal the Russian leader’s disinterest in peace.
A former British intelligence officer weighed in on the matter to the Mirror, stating: “Putin is a very diminished person. But there are questions over whether him being killed would serve any purpose.”
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to participate in the negotiations, despite uncertainty over the presence of Kremlin officials. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, has indicated that an official announcement regarding attendance will be made when Putin deems it appropriate.
Kyiv has demonstrated its commitment to resolving the hostilities, not only by entering into a minerals agreement with the United States but also through consistent declarations of its desire to conclude the war. In a dramatic twist, the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary outfit, has launched an armed insurrection in protest of the war’s management.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, shockingly turned his back on Russia, redirecting his mercenaries from the Ukrainian front to Moscow. Putin condemned the move as “treason” but struck a deal with Prigozhin, sparing his life in exchange for quelling the rebellion.
Tragically, Prigozhin perished in a plane crash two months later in August 2023.
In a desperate bid for reinforcements, Putin has reportedly received an influx of around 12,000 North Korean troops, including elite special forces, many of whom are believed to have been killed in the ongoing conflict.
Adding to this, it was recently revealed that North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-Un has consented to dispatch an additional 15,000 workers to support Putin’s flagging industrial workforce and contribute to operations in factories across Russia’s Far East.
