According to a ‘Kremlin insider,’ Vladimir Putin may be forced to relinquish control of the Ukraine war for a few days while he prepares for cancer surgery.
While he goes under the knife, the Russian autocrat is expected to choose hardline Security Council head and ex-FSB commander Nikolai Patrushev to lead the invasion.
According to a Daily Mail report, Shadowy Patrushev, 70, is regarded as a key architect of the war strategy thus far, as well as the man who persuaded Putin that Kyiv is swamped in neo-Nazis.
The remarkable assertions were made on the popular Telegram channel General SVR, whose source is said to be a high-ranking Kremlin official.
Telegram channel General SVR reported that Putin has abdominal cancer and Parkinson’s 18 months ago.
A team of medics routinely visited the 69-year-old Russian president at his residences or accompanied him on outings, according to Russian investigative news source Proekt, amid rising concerns about his health.
According to the newspaper, Yevgeny Selivanov, an oncology surgeon specialising in thyroid cancer, flew 35 times to Putin’s Black Sea villa and spent 166 days in his company.
Watch | Gravitas: Inside Vladimir Putin’s mind
He has reportedly postponed surgery, which will now take place on May 9 in Red Square as part of the Victory Day commemoration of Russia’s World War II victory.
The report comes amid rumours that Putin will declare war on Ukraine and order the mass mobilisation of military-age men, posing a significant political risk.
The procedure was supposed to take place in the second part of April, but it was postponed, according to SVR.
‘Putin was advised to have surgery, and the date is currently being discussed and decided upon,’ according to the site.
‘There appears to be no pressing need, but it cannot be postponed.’
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