Putin’s power in crisis as Kremlin leader faces a ‘war at the top’

Russia: Putin losing his grip on power says expert

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Valdimir Putin’s long-standing authority over the Russian Federation is tipped to crumble amid murmurs of a revolt among senior Kremlin figures. President Putin had promised Moscow’s forces would swiftly seize Kyiv, but nearly nine months into the invasion of Ukraine, numerous Russian military failures have since attracted fierce criticism. With his invasion plot under scrutiny, Putinis now at risk of losing his spot at the top of the Kremlin as an internal “war” has broken out among the “top echelons” of the Russian state.

Russian journalist and editor-in-chief of Moscow’s The New Times magazine Yevgenia Albats reported: “The fight has begun inside the very top echelons of Russian power. We are witnessing the lunch of the predators.”

She continued: “What’s happening now is a key manifestation of breakdown within the power [structures].”

Ms Albas has claimed she was forced to leave Russia following a brutal crackdown on independent media which saw her labelled a “foreign agent” by the Justice Ministry.

Vladimir Putin has moved to silence opposition media outlets within Russia, even passing a law earlier this year which allowed for lengthy prison sentences if an individual is found to be distributing information that the Kremlin deemed “deliberately false”.

Ms Albats declared: “Putin can no longer act as mediator between various interest groups – that the war of all against all has begun.

“I want to hope this will crash this inhumane regime, [which is] killing people in Ukraine and its own mobilised people in Russia.

“[What we now see] is war at the very top of the power echelon. 

“Putin can no longer serve as a mediator, which is his key function. Therefore, he [Putin] is next.”

Read more: Russian soldier claims troops have ‘refused’ orders from Kremlin

Vladimir Putin faced an unprecedented flood of widespread public protests after he announced a partial mobilisation of Russian reserve forces.

Demonstrators across the country took to the streets to protest against the mobilisation of 300,000 additional men to continue the invasion effort within Ukraine.

The Kremlin responded promptly by arresting thousands of activists, although news of the dissent quickly made global headlines.

In addition, Putin’s war effort has been challenged by sabotage from Russian anti-war groups. Essential rail networks used to transport Kremlin supplies to Moscow’s soldiers across the border have been damaged in deliberate attacks, exacerbating existing difficulties in the military supply network.

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While Ms Albats reported on a crisis of support for Vladimir Putin within the Kremlin, video footage has suggested active Russian servicemen have also turned against their President. 

Mobilised troops staged a protest at a training centre within Russia earlier this week, an incident which was filmed and shared widely across social media.

The soldiers reportedly took a stand after they did not receive the lump sum payment pledged by the Kremlin for enlistment. This activity coincides with official reports from the UK Ministry of Defence that there is an atmosphere of extremely low morale within the Russian military.

The Kremlin has responded to this dire situation by deploying “blocking units”. These specialist units operate to prevent poor performance among Moscow’s army by threatening to shoot Russian soldiers if they retreat.

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Putin’s commanders abandon posts and ‘demoralised’ conscripts 

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