The head of Ukraine's military intelligence announced that several attempts have been made to assassinate Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. Kyrylo Budanov told the Ukrainian website 'New Vis': 'But as you can see, these attempts have been unsuccessful.' Budanov did not provide further details and did not say whether his agents or other Ukrainian agencies were involved in these attempts. He claimed that in May 2022, a few months after the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Putin was made by individuals from the Caucasus, but there is no evidence to support this claim. Budanov also stated that Putin is no longer as popular among the Russian elite as he once was, but because he has been in power for over 20 years, Russians fear alternative options. He added that if Putin were to die, the public reaction might be similar to the reaction to the death of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator, in 1953. Budanov said: 'Their whole world collapsed, they didn't know how to continue living.'
Head of Ukrainian Military Intelligence: Several Failed Attempts to Assassinate Putin Have Been Made
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, claims there have been several failed assassination attempts on Vladimir Putin. He suggests that Putin's popularity among the Russian elite is waning, but fear of alternatives persists. The implications of Putin's potential death could mirror the chaos following Stalin's death.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Kyrylo Budanov claimed that there have been multiple unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Vladimir Putin, highlighting a potential decline in his popularity among the Russian elite. He suggested that the consequences of Putin's death could lead to significant instability in Russia.
- Budanov mentioned an assassination attempt in May 2022 involving individuals from the Caucasus.
- He compared the potential public reaction to Putin's death to the chaos following Stalin's death in 1953.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Vladimir Putin has been in power for over two decades, and his leadership style has often been characterized by authoritarianism. The ongoing war in Ukraine has intensified scrutiny of his regime.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%