A coup to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin is underway and can’t be stopped, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence chief.
Major General Kyrylo Budanov told Sky News in an interview that if the Russian military is defeated in Ukraine it would result in Putin’s removal and the country’s eventual collapse.
“It will eventually lead to the change of leadership of the Russian Federation,” Budanov said, “this process has already been launched.”
Asked if he believed a coup was already in train, he responded, “yes”, adding that “they are moving in this way and it is impossible to stop it.”
Budanov did not provide any evidence to support his claim that there is a coup to oust Putin. There are speculation that Russia’s poor performance in a war they started and a struggling economy could result in Putin being removed from power, though experts say that is unlikely, according to Newsweek. The FSB, the Federal Protective Service (FSO) and The National Guard (Rosgvardia) serve to protect him.
Budanov also told Sky News that Putin “is in very bad psychological and physical condition and he is very sick. He has various illnesses at the same time, one of which is cancer.”
This comes after an unnamed oligarch close to the Kremlin was  was “very ill with blood cancer.”
The Kremlin insists he is in good health but his public appearances say otherwise. Video shows him shaking uncontrollably in April, his face also appears unusually puffy which could be a sign of steroid use and him missing a hockey match this week which he usually takes part in, are all adding to speculations that he is unwell.
