The Telegraph: Putin fears possible coup

Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin is reportedly worried about a potential coup in Russia as the country faces an economic crisis and rising popular dissatisfaction, the London-based tabloid newspaper The Telegraph reports.

Against this backdrop, the Kremlin has intensified its crackdown on opposition figures and is searching for conjured “internal enemies” to divert public attention from setbacks on the battlefield and mounting economic problems.

The Russian economy is cratering on the edge of recession. Gas prices are rising, banks are under pressure, and businesses face restrictions. U.S. sanctions and ongoing Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries are compounding the situation. Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development confirms that the country is in a difficult state.

The Telegraph recalled the 2003 incident when Russian special forces removed opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky from a plane in Siberia, making him the first oligarch imprisoned under Putin, a symbol that dissent had no place in the new Russia.

Nearly 22 years later, Khodorkovsky, now based in London, is once again in the Kremlin’s crosshairs. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has opened a case against him and 22 members of the Russian Anti-War Committee, accusing them of allegedly planning a “violent seizure of power and overthrow of the constitutional order.”

Khodorkovsky calls the charges absurd, while experts see them as a sign of Putin’s growing anxiety and an escalation of pressure on potential opposition figures.

This fear is reinforced by past events, including the 2023 attempt by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to stage a coup against Putin, which failed, ending with Prigozhin’s death in a plane crash.

Analysts note that the absence of an obvious successor intensifies the Kremlin’s concern and motivates it to target opposition figures to consolidate power. They also point out that international support for Russian opposition groups could become a critical factor if Putin’s grip on power is threatened.

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