Tyrant Vladimir Putin is so gripped with paranoia he is using a body-double to foil any would-be assassins, it has been claimed.
The Russian leader is shaken and fears the country's military top brass could stage a coup to oust him after he sacked eight generals for failing to capture Ukraine as quickly as initially expected.
The paranoid despot has a lookalike who stands in for him at Kremlin meetings and is used as a decoy when the man himself moves around, the Daily Star reports.
The double even shares the same home as the tyrant, living in his Presidential complex.
Sources suggest the stand-in has even been trained to walk in the same manner as the Russian leader.
An intelligence source told the Daily Star : “We know Putin is paranoid about his security and this move just shows how seriously his team are taking the threat against his life.”
They added: “His close protection team make sure his food is checked, no one gets close to him without their approval.
"But the former chiefs of staff, generals and FSB operators will know the weak spots in the system.
“I would not be at all surprised if we hear in the next few months that Putin has died and the reason given will be a heart attack or a long-term illness.
"I doubt they will admit it was an internal coup”.
It is understood there is widespread concern among Russia ’s senior commanders about the direction of the war and the impact on the economy.
The Kremlin has admitted it has resulted in 15,000 Russian deaths.
In the US, the White House head of communications Kate Bedingfield said: “We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership.”
The news comes after ' Vladimir Putin 's best' fighters have suffered heavy losses during fierce fighting in Ukraine, it has been reported.
The 331st Guards Parachute Regiment is considered among the most fearsome and well-trained in the Russian army, having fought for the city of Ilovaisk in the Donbas in 2014.
However, the regiment's commanding officer, Col Sergei Sukharev and deputy Major Sergei Krylov were killed in Ukraine on March 13 - a major blow for any military unit.
And there are several chilling clues the war may be taking a toll on Putin's physical health too.
The Kremlin has refused to offer any explanation about what experts and investigators say are clear signs that his health was failing when he started the war.
In recent public appearances, Putin - known in Russia for his "strong man" image - has looked "bloated" and noticeably "weakened" when compared to earlier images.
The dramatic decline in his physical state has lead outsiders to wonder if he's battling a serious illness or even several conditions at once.
Just yesterday, reports emerged that a surgeon specialising in thyroid cancer in "elderly and senile" patients is being kept at the President's beck and call.
And in November last year a Russian political analyst revealed the despot had been struck by both cancer and Parkinson's Disease, while a separate source claimed he had undergone surgery for abdominal cancer.
The Parkinson's theory was strengthened in mid-March, when Putin was seen limping off-stage following a pro-war rally in Moscow.
The Russian leader's declining appearance also lead analysts to wonder whether his "puffy" and "bloated" face had been caused a cocktail of steroids - commonly used to treat cancer.
