Putin ‘may very well be toppled in 60s-style palace coup’ as Russian elites ‘flip’ on him
As Vladimir Putin hides in high-tech bunkers, an expert warns a 1960s-style palace coup could be looming as Russian elites turn on the leader over his failing war
Vladimir Putin is reportedly afraid of a coup attempt as unrest in Russia grows(Image: Getty)
Deep beneath the reinforced concrete of a billion-pound clifftop fortress, one of the most dangerous men on the planet is reportedly hiding from his own shadow. Vladimir Putin, the man who once rode horses bare-chested and projected an image of unshakable iron will, is claimed to have retreated into a world of subterranean bunkers and feverish paranoia.
The gold-leafed corridors of the Kremlin are said to have been replaced by high-tech underground bases, as the tyrant fears that the very men who once bowed to him are now measuring him for a coffin.
Whispers from Moscow suggest the elite no longer see a strongman when they look at the President, but a “psycho” who has destroyed decades of Russian economic progress in the fires of a failing war in Ukraine.
However, according to one top expert, no amount of body searches or secret tunnels can protect a leader if his inner circle decide his time is up. Dr Jenny Mathers, a Russian politics expert at Aberystwyth University, believes we could be looking at a brutal repeat of history.
She suggests the most likely end for Putin would be: “A palace coup, not by the military but by political elites who decide Putin isn’t in their best interests any longer. Think about the way that Nikita Khrushchev was toppled in the 1960s.”
While the Russian public is feeling the pinch of soaring inflation, reports suggest Putin’s fear of an assassination attempt has reached fever pitch. The rattled President has effectively vanished into bunkers, including his £1billion clifftop Gelendzhik palace, which is said to feature multiple hidden levels deep underground.
He is reportedly dodging his usual haunts in Valdai and Moscow, terrified that his own associates will launch drone strikes to wipe him out. Sources also claim state TV is using pre-recorded footage to pretend Putin is out in public, while full-body searches are now standard for anyone entering the Kremlin.
Even his personal cooks, photographers and bodyguards are said to have surveillance systems in their homes to ensure they aren’t cooking up a lethal plot.
Despite the unrest over the bloody war in Ukraine and the mounting body count, Dr Mathers warns that Putin isn’t gone just yet, though.
She said: “These things are notoriously difficult to predict in authoritarian regimes, where things can move very quickly and the leader is in control until suddenly he is not.
“Putin has surrounded himself with a series of safeguards against being overthrown, such as ensuring that he is well-protected by the security services, using them to keep tabs on other members of the political elite and making sure that no potential challengers are able to build an independent power base.”
She added: “I think the current unrest is genuine – there is increasing unhappiness with the effects of the war in Ukraine on everyday life, the high casualty rate and the fact that there is no real end in sight.”
Even if the elites decide to pull the trigger on Putin’s presidency, they face one massive problem in that there’s nobody obvious to take his place.
Dr Mathers said: “This is one of the biggest obstacles to removing Putin – with whom would he be replaced? He has done such a good job of removing or discrediting possible successors that it is hard to see who would have the credibility and command enough authority to claim to be his successor.”
For now, Putin is keeping his cronies in line through a mixture of threats and the fact they can still live comfortable lives if they keep their heads down.
But as Russian newspapers begin to openly mock the country’s economic turmoil and influencers like Viktoria Bonya speak out against the state, the clock is ticking.
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