Vladimir Putin may soon undergo surgery linked to cancer, according to a new claim being reported by the Mirror. His hardline security council security secretary Nikolai Patrushev - a former KGB counterintelligence officer has allegedly been secretly nominated to take 'control' of Russia while he is incapacitated.
Patrushev, 70, is the man who convinced Putin that Kyiv was awash with neo-Nazis and is seen as a key architect of the Ukrainian war strategy. The extraordinary unconfirmed claims come from General SVR Telegram channel, which first raised issues of Putin’s health - including abdominal cancer and Parkinson's - some 18 months ago.
They come amid speculation that Putin will announce all-out war in Ukraine, and order mass mobilisation of military-age men. Such a move would be seen as high-risk since many may refuse to fight.
