Ukrainian intelligence officials say elite Russian officers want to poison Putin and replace him with a chosen successor in order to restore trade ties with the West.
- Ukrainian Intelligence Claims Russian Elites Plan to Poison Putin
- They claim that influential insiders are outraged by the Russian sanctions.
- Reports claim that the group plans to infiltrate the FSB boss as president.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian elites are hatching a plot to “poison” Vladimir Putin and install a successor who will restore trade ties with the West.
According to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate under the war-torn country’s Ministry of Defense, a “group of powerful” individuals in Russia have begun a plot to remove the dictator from office.
Ukrainian intelligence says FSB director Oleksandr Bortnikov has been chosen to replace Putin, heading an agency that is the successor to the formidable KGB.
Ukrainian intelligence said that FSB director Alexander Bortnikov was elected to replace Putin.
Putin was the director of Russian intelligence before he became president, and he and Bortnikov served together in the KGB in Leningrad.
Insiders are reportedly outraged at the impact the invasion of Ukraine will have on the Russian economy, which has been hit hard by sanctions.
The Main Intelligence Directorate said: “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 any other “coincidence” is not ruled out.
Bortnikov fell out of favor with Putin after suffering military casualties in the first three weeks of the war in Ukraine, during which time he also fired eight generals.
Russia has lost about 15,000 troops in Ukraine.
One Ukrainian intelligence source recently said: “It is noteworthy that Bortnikov was recently disgraced by the Russian dictator.
“The official reason for the disgrace of the head of the FSB is fatal miscalculations in the war against Ukraine.
“Bortnikov and his department were responsible for analyzing sentiment in Ukraine and the capabilities of the Ukrainian army.”
It is believed that Bortnikov has a network of insiders working and living in Ukraine, where he led the spy network for many years.
A Western source told the Daily Mirror: “These rumors and suspicions in the Moscow inner circle will sow the seeds of paranoia and doubts in the leadership.
Bortnikov fell out of favor with Putin after suffering military casualties in the first three weeks of the war in Ukraine, during which time he also fired eight generals.
“There is no doubt that as the Russian elite feels the stab of sanctions, they will look to the future with an eye to what a disaster this war is for them – and it will only get worse.
“There is a serious suspicion that a small group of people may indeed now try to get rid of the Russian president, but whether they succeed remains to be seen.
“Of course, they are very strongly encouraged by various influential figures in the West, and most people think that they have had enough.
“The important thing is that, although Ukraine suffered greatly from this invasion, it misled the Russian military at every turn, predicting their military actions and damaging their forces.
“It is quite possible that someone leaked information and encouraged it in every possible way, perhaps with a proposal for a future in the West or even in Russia itself.”