The Ukrainian government claims that there is a plan by the Russian elite to assassinate Putin that even has a successor selected

Ukrainian intelligence agencies claim that members of the Kremlin are plotting to eliminate Vladimir Putin by poisoning him and would already have a successor selected.

According to the General Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, a “group of influential members” of the “Russian elite” are plotting a plan with a view to overthrowing the president.

The group's goal is to remove Putin from power as soon as possible and to rebuild economic ties with the West.

According to the intelligence report, powerful experts are appalled by the impact that the war and subsequent sanctions have had on the Russian economy.

The Ukrainian intelligence service claims that a successor to Putin, the director of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, has already been elected.

“Bortnikov and some other influential representatives of the Russian elite are known to be considering various options to remove Putin from power,” said the General Intelligence Directorate.

“In particular, poisoning, sudden illness or any other 'coincidence' is not excluded,” he added.

The agency suggested that the losses suffered by Chechen forces in the north of the country may have influenced the alleged plot.

This weekend, Ukraine said that part of the notorious Chechen combat squadron had been sent back to Russia after many of its troops died.

The suggestion that Bortnikov is the man who will replace Putin might be considered surprising, given the way in which the two men have made their way together in Russian society.

Both served in the KGB in Leningrad, before Bortnikov took over the renowned security agency.

Bortnikov's FSB is both the brain and heart of Putin's regime, a “state within the state”, according to in-depth research conducted by the Dossier Centre.

At the beginning of the conflict, Bortnikov, generally shy in front of the cameras, handed over the goods to Putin when he claimed that two of his border guards had captured a Ukrainian military saboteur alive on Russian soil.

He said the saboteur had malicious intentions against the state, before they were eliminated by his people.

While the claims were advanced and later discredited by the West, they served as a means of justifying war within Russia.

Bortnikov has now fallen out of favor with Putin, due to mistakes in the Ukrainian war.

Putin lashed out and fired eight generals in an attempt to divert the blame for the bloody war that killed nearly 15,000 of his troops in just 25 days.

The increasingly paranoid leader has even publicly complained about the “traitors” and “scum” he suspects are disloyal to Moscow, possibly leaking information.

The elite conspirators, according to Ukrainian intelligence, selected 70-year-old Bortnikov, because they believe he could lead the restoration of economic ties with the West.

They are increasingly concerned that Russia will become a pariah state, rejected by the West and that their houses, bank accounts and yachts will be confiscated, as well as their ability to travel and do business.

Bortnikov is believed to have a network of insiders who work and live in Ukraine, where he led a network of agents for many years.

The ruthless career spy born in the Urals has long been one of Putin's closest helpers.

He also heads the economic arm of the FSB, playing a key role in building Russia's post-Soviet-era growth, while leading counterintelligence operations to ensure that it is not penetrated by Western spies.

But Putin is now believed to be furious with him for allowing his military commanders to go wrong with Ukraine's fierce defense against the invasion.

The deputy director of the Russian security council, Dmitry Medvedev, has fired the deputy director of the FSB, Vyacheslav Ushakov, for errors in intelligence that led to the invasion.

The dismissal has also left Bortnikov, who apparently suggested it, in disgrace with Putin.

A Ukrainian intelligence source recently revealed: “It is noteworthy that Bortnikov was recently disgraced by the Russian dictator. The official reason for the misfortune of the FSB leader - fatal miscalculations in the war against Ukraine. Bortnikov and his department were responsible for analyzing the mood of Ukraine and the capacity of the Ukrainian army.”

According to The Daily Mirror, rumors and suspicions within Moscow's inner circle could sow the seeds of paranoia and doubt in the Russian leadership.

This was stated by an undisclosed “Western source”, adding: “There is no doubt that as the Russian elite feel the pinch of sanctions, they will look to the future with an eye on the catastrophe that this war is for them, and that it is going to get worse.”

“There is a significant suspicion that a small number of people might now try to get rid of the Russian president, but it remains to be seen whether they will succeed. Certainly, several influential figures in the West are giving them a lot of encouragement and the feeling among most people is that enough is enough,” the source continued.

The Daily Mirror also understands that Russian diplomats may have been offered a secure future in the West if they publicly denounce Russian leadership and war.

A separate major source has revealed that several Western leaders have discussed, together with Ukraine, the idea of offering asylum to some of Moscow's diplomats.

It is believed that none have come forward yet, but Ukrainian sources claim that Western leaders have already approved that their intelligence agencies make the rapprochement.

KEEP READING