Britain must prepare for the sudden collapse of Vladimir Putin’s regime, government officials warn, amid fears the ‘mortally wounded’ despot could carry out a ‘Stalin-style’ purge to cling to power.
Western officials have warned that Putin’s grip on Russia is crumbling as doubts about his whereabouts mount after an attempted coup by Wagner’s mercenary forces led by his former ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.
A senior source in the UK government told The Times Britain “must prepare for a wide range of scenarios” and that “this could be Chapter One of something new.”
Meanwhile, Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the select committee on foreign affairs, has warned that Putin might launch a purge to survive, as his propagandists furiously question why the march on Moscow was allowed to go so far.
The senior Conservative MP also suggested that Russian intelligence may have concealed the coup from Putin, as it emerged that both Britain and the US had intelligence that Prigozhin was amassing forces near the Russia-Ukraine border during several days.
Western officials have warned that their grip on Russia is crumbling as questions about their whereabouts mount after the attempted coup.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the 24-hour mutiny led by renegade Russian army chief Yevgeny Prigozhin showed “real cracks” in Putin’s power.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the 24-hour mutiny led by renegade Russian army chief Yevgeny Prigozhin (pictured) showed “real cracks” in Putin’s power.
The Russian president has not been seen since he delivered an emergency message pleading with Russians not to join Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed coup (pictured)
Surprised, the Russian army had to fight to defend Moscow while Prigozhin’s soldiers moved unhindered towards the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and advanced within 120 miles of the capital.
Yesterday, Ms Kearns said that the British government had known about this for several days.
Sources in the US claimed that congressional leaders were also briefed on Wagner’s buildup early last week, contradicting Prigozhin’s claim that his rebellion was a response to a Friday attack on his camps. in Ukraine by the Russian army.
“I think our government knew for a few days that something was coming,” he said.
That means Russian intelligence clearly should have had some idea. Did Russian intelligence not believe that he was capable of marching on Moscow or did they lie to Putin because they were afraid of him?
Prigozhin, the ruthless head of the 25,000-member mercenary group, was greeted as a hero on Saturday after he sensationally left his group’s march on Moscow at the last minute.
In a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin agreed to cancel his advance in exchange for the criminal charges against him and his supporters being dropped, with the added incentive of a multi-million dollar exile payment.
Servicemen from the PMC Wagner Group were seen leaving the center of Rostov-on-Don and returning to their bases on Saturday night.
But there are signs that Putin’s battle for survival is far from over. Ms Kearns said the doors were open for others to challenge the Russian leader: “This is definitely not over,” she said. ‘This is not just a power struggle between Putin and Prigozhin. It has raised questions about the overall stability of the country.
‘Nobody believes that Prigozhin will go to Belarus and live quietly there. Putin… is mortally wounded, but I don’t think anyone can say that Putin is finished. There is nothing Putin hates more than a traitor.
Yevgeny Prigozhin was last seen being cheered by locals outside Rostov-on-Don after his troops stormed the Russian military headquarters there.
Prigozhin’s whereabouts were unknown last night, with no sign that he has arrived safely in Belarus. A Prigozhin spokesman told Russian broadcaster RTVI that he was “out of contact”.
It came as Blinken said he did not believe that “we have seen the final act” in the Wagner-Putin rebellion. “Sixteen months ago, Russian forces were at the gates of Kiev, in the Ukraine, thinking that they would take the city in a matter of days, thinking that they would wipe Ukraine off the map as an independent country,” he told CBS News.
He added: ‘Prigozhin himself, in this whole incident, raised deep questions about the very premises of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in the first place, saying that Ukraine or NATO posed no threat to Russia, which is part of Putin’s narrative. . And it was a direct challenge to Putin’s authority. So this raises deep questions, shows real cracks.’
Western leaders have expressed concern about unrest in Russia, which has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the 24-hour mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin showed “real cracks” in Putin’s power.
Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA station chief in Moscow, suggested that a rogue Russian leader could steal a nuclear warhead if Putin’s grip on power falters.
Putin has not been seen since he gave a pre-recorded speech on Saturday when he said he was “confident” his forces would carry out their plans related to the “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Two planes linked to the president left Moscow on Saturday but have since returned to the city, according to data from flightradar24. It is not clear if he was on board.
I am Rakesh Sharma, I associated with Elite News as an Editor, since 2021. I take care of all the news operations like content, budget, hiring and policy making.