Saturday 14 May 2022 02:40 AM Coup to oust Putin is 'already under way': Ukraine's spy chief believes tyrant ... trends now
Ukraine's spy chief last night claimed that a coup to remove Vladimir Putin is already under way and that Russia would lose the war by the end of this year.
Major General Kyrylo Budanov, 36, said he believed a turning point in the conflict will come later this summer and will eventually see Putin ousted from office.
'The breaking point will be in the second part of August,' General Budanov told Sky News.
'Most of the active combat will have finished by the end of this year. It will eventually lead to the change of leadership of the Russian Federation. This process has already been launched.
'As a result, we will renew Ukrainian power in all our territories.'
It was also claimed yesterday by an unnamed Russian oligarch that Putin is 'very ill with blood cancer'.
The oligarch - who has close ties to the Kremlin and named only as 'Yuri' to protect his identity - claimed a number of the health problems Putin is believed to be suffering from are linked to him having blood cancer.
Vladimir Putin is 'very ill with blood cancer', a Russian oligarch has claimed according to a new report, amid on-going speculation about the strongman's health. Pictured: Putin is seen clutching a small desk during a meeting with his defence minister Sergei Shoigu
General Budanov's comments are the most upbeat assessment given by any Ukrainian official since the war began.
But the Ukrainian head of military intelligence was one of the few top officials to correctly predict Russian troops and tanks would pour over Ukraine's borders to try to seize its territory.
However, in a rebuke to Russia's claims of military prowess, he branded Moscow's army 'a horde of people with weapons', adding that 'this highly publicised Russian power is a myth'.
General Budanov also claimed Putin, 69, is in a 'very bad psychological and physical condition', saying that he is suffering from cancer and other illnesses.
His health has been the subject of speculation this year, with his face becoming visibly puffy from what has been described as steroid use to treat one of his conditions.
Recent video footage also shows him clutching a table to steady his shaking hands.
The speculation comes as an audio recording of an oligarch – named only as 'Yuri' – was said to have been obtained by a Western venture capitalist and shared with New Lines magazine.
In it the oligarch reportedly made a number of claims concerning Putin's health, highlighting him suffering from lower back problems as evidence of his condition. Putin underwent surgery on his back in October 2021.
It has also been claimed that Putin is suffering from Parkinson's disease. He was shown awkwardly walking through Red Square during this week's Victory Day parade.
Speculations on Putin's health range from Parkinsons to blood cancer as Ukraine's spy chief General Kyrylo Budanov says he is in a 'very bad psychological and physical condition'
The magazine said it was able to authenticate the oligarch's identity and voice, but would not reveal their name because of repercussions he could face for criticising Putin.
Putin has been seen in public less frequently than normal, and when he is shown on television, his appearances are heavily curated.
But despite the Kremlin being scrupulous with what footage of Putin is released to the public, there have been a number of signs that he is unwell.
On Monday, Putin gave a speech during Moscow's Victory Day parade - an annual event Russia celebrates to mark the end of its involvement in the Second World War.
Putin was shown awkwardly walking through Red Square - possibly to hide a limp. He was also seen with a blanket across his lap as he watched the proceedings, despite Moscow that day being a relatively mild 48 Fahrenheit (9C).
On April 22 he was seen meeting defence minister Sergei Shoigu, slumped in his seat at a comically small desk which he gripped like a vice for the whole conversion.
In March, having delivered a speech at a large pro-war rally in Russia's capital, Putin was filmed walking down a short flight of stairs putting more weight on his left leg.
His right hand - the same that gripped the desk in April - has been shown shaking, while he was also seen clutching the armrest of a chair during a meeting with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
In the build-up to the invasion of Ukraine, he held meetings with world leaders and other Russian military officials sat at either end of huge banquet-sized tables amid reports he was taking extra precautions over Covid-19.
Individuals meeting Putin were required to be tested rigorously for Covid-19.
Blood cancers - such as lymphoma or myeloma - are a cancer of plasma cells, and can cause pervasive bone disease.
Speaking to New Lines, Ashley Grossman - a professor of endocrinology at Oxford University - said such diseases can affect the spine and back.
What's more, treatment for such diseases involve steroids,
