'Poisoning or sudden illness': Ukrainian intelligence reports that Russia is preparing to overthrow Putin

Opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin is forming in the Russian economic and political elite, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, reports Radio Liberty.

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According to intelligence, the Russian elite are considering the possibility of "poisoning, sudden illness, accident" to remove Putin and restore economic ties with the West.

According to the GUR, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov is allegedly considered as Putin's successor. It was he who was responsible for analyzing the mood of the population and the ability of the Ukrainian army.

Bortnikov is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) since May 12, 2008. He is one of the most influential security officials and is considered a member of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle.

Bortnikov and Vladimir Putin first met when they were both serving in Leningrad in the 1970s. In June 2003, Bortnikov became the head of the FSB Directorate for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. On February 24, 2004, he was transferred to Moscow and appointed head of the FSB Economic Security Service, deputy director of the agency.

On May 12, 2008, he was appointed director of the FSB by President Dmitry Medvedev, some security analysts believed that they were personally very close. His tenure as director of the FSB saw the agency return to the "punishing sword" once attributed to the Cheka.

He is also a member of the board of directors of Sovcomflot, Russia's largest shipping company and hydrocarbon carrier.

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“It was Bortnikov and his department who were responsible for analyzing the mood of the population of Ukraine and the solvency of the Ukrainian army. It is known that Bortnikov and some other influential representatives of the Russian elite are considering various options for removing Putin from power. In particular, poisoning, sudden illness or other “accident” cannot be ruled out,” the agency said in a statement.

The intelligence service recalled the disclosure of information about Chechen commanders controlled by Chechen Chairman Ramzan Kadyrov.

“The information came just from the Russian side. This is probably how the FSB leadership is trying to weaken Kadyrov's influence. It may also be an attempt to establish cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities in advance, bypassing the current leadership of the Russian Federation, ”the GUR suggested.

It is not yet possible to verify the data released by intelligence.

The large-scale war of Russia against Ukraine lasts for the 25th day. Russia calls it "a special military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine." And although Ukraine and the West declare significant losses of the Russian Federation in the war against Ukraine, Russia calls much smaller numbers. The Russian Ministry of Defense published its data once, on March 2, recognizing 498 soldiers as dead. There is no independent confirmation of data on the losses of the Russian army in Ukraine yet.

Problems in the Kremlin Gulag

A senior intelligence chief of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has been placed under house arrest amid riots and infighting among officials as President Vladimir Putin rages over the failed invasion of Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 19, according to The Wall Street Journal. YahooNews.

The FSB operation in Ukraine was led by the Russian commander, Colonel General Sergei Beseda, the Journal reports, citing a US representative.

An unidentified US official also told the newspaper that "differences broke out" between the FSB and the Russian Ministry of Defense, which were key government agencies planning the invasion.

Citing Russian news sources, The New York Times reported that a second FSB officer was also under house arrest.

The Russian military operation did not go as planned. Earlier this month, CIA director William Burns told Congress that Putin planned to take over the Ukrainian capital Kyiv within two days. Nevertheless, the city continues to fight off Russian troops for almost a month after the start of the war. According to Ukraine, five Russian generals were killed in the fighting.

This is bad news for officials around Putin, observers warn.

"When it comes to this guy, it's clear that the 'blame and pay' culture is clearly still in place," Jeffrey Edmonds, a former CIA and National Security Council official, told the magazine.

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But the accusations and growing fear and discontent in the Kremlin could also be bad news for Putin.

Russian historian Stephen Kotkin said in a recent New Yorker interview that Putin only gets the information “he wants to hear.” “In any case, he considers himself higher and smarter than everyone else. This is a problem of despotism,” he added. “That’s why despotism, or even just authoritarianism, is both omnipotent and fragile.”

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