Russia’s elite plotting to kill Putin with his successor already chosen – source

Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to the Daily Star’s newsletter

Powerful business people and politicians are planning to assassinate Putin and install a new president, a Ukrainian intelligence source claims.

The group of like-minded people allegedly want to remove Putin from power as soon as possible to restore the country's economic ties with the West, according to the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

Russia's continued efforts to invade Ukraine has led to heavy sanctions from the West, targeting elite oligarchs and also limiting Moscow's access to foreign exchange reserves.

Ukraine's Chief Directorate of Intelligence said: "A part of Russia's political elite sees Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov as Putin's successor."

The source claims that Bortnikov and other influential members of the political and business elite are considering ways to remove the President – including poisoning.

"It is known that Bortnikov and some other influential members of the Russian elite are considering various options for removing Putin from power. In particular, poisoning, sudden illness, or other 'accident' is not excluded," they said.

Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service, has reportedly "fallen out of favour" recently with Putin.

The source added: "The official reason for the FSS leader's downfall is fatal miscalculations in the war against Ukraine.

"It was Bortnikov and his department who were responsible for analysing the views of the Ukrainian population and the capacity of the Ukrainian army."

To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.

Russian soldiers are reportedly shooting themselves in the legs in order to go to hospital and avoid fighting in Ukraine following a collapse of morale.

According to US estimates, in the three weeks of fighting, Russia has lost over 7,000 troops, with the army's spirits wavering.

With reports of harsh punishments waiting for the soldiers who desert the field back in Russia, it is reported that some are taking extreme measures in order to escape the fighting.

According to Belarusian media outlet NEXTA, an intercepted Russian forces conversation suggests that desperate Russian troops are "looking for Ukrainian ammunition in order to shoot themselves in the legs and go to hospital".

• Vladimir Putin
• Russia
• Russia Ukraine war

Source: Read Full Article