According to media sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin will undergo surgery for cancer and will temporarily delegate authority to the country’s Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. Patrushev, 70, is a secretive person who is widely regarded as the key architect of the ongoing war strategy.
Putin has been advised by physicians that he must have surgery, as per a Telegram channel allegedly operated by a retired Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Lieutenant General. The assertions were made on the notable Telegram channel General SVR, according to which the source is a high-ranking Kremlin executive.
Putin, according to General SVR, has both abdominal cancer and Parkinson’s disease. The administrators of the Telegram group said in early April that Putin’s physicians had advised surgery for later that month, but it did not take place. Patrushev allegedly had a two-hour “heart-to-heart” talk with Putin, according to a Telegram post published on Thursday.
According to the post, Putin signaled to Patrushev that he considered him to be basically his single trusted partner and buddy in government. “Patrushev is an outright villain,” stated the administrator of the Telegram channel that made the claim about Putin’s cancer operation. “He is no better than Vladimir Putin. Moreover, he is a more cunning, and I would say, more insidious person than Vladimir Putin. If he comes to power, Russians’ problems will only multiply,” the post added.
The channel also said that Putin is unlikely to agree to hand up authority for an extended length of time, adding that Patrushev’s rule would only last a few days.
Meanwhile, a US official stated that the media allegations could not be confirmed, with Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby stating on Monday, “I have seen nothing that could help us corroborate it.”
The news comes amid speculation that Putin would declare full-fledged war on Ukraine and push for massive military mobilization, creating considerable political concern.
