Vladimir Putin could be kicked out of power within two years, claim experts as his "toxic" behaviour threatens his inner circle.
Intelligence analysts Dragonfly correctly predicted Russia would invade Ukraine and now they claim Putin could be ousted if the West ramps up sanctions that trigger a financial crisis.
It comes as Ukraine says its forces have seized back all areas around the capital of Kyiv with Russian troops pulling back as war drags on and another of Putin's top Russian colonels is killed.
As Western sanctions target Russian business, Putin finds himself under pressure to keep his key advisers on side amid uncertainty over what happens when he can no longer guarantee their financial security.
In a Dragonfly briefing, intelligence analysts said "it’s likely to highly likely that President Putin will not be in the position he is within the next two years", reports The Sun.
Putin's fate reportedly lies in the hands of six of his closest allies - Sergei Naryshkin, head of the foreign intelligence service, defence minister Sergei Shoigu, former head of the FSB internal security service Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, head of state-owned Rostec Sergei Chemezov and oligarch Igor Sechin.
Dragonfly suggests rather than a military coup, "what we would be more likely to see a group of squat men in ill-fitting suits walking into the Kremlin.
"President Putin then being explained as either ill or having to step down for other reasons – family reasons and so on."
Speculation has been rife over Putin's health and state of mind with some experts suggesting he may be taking steroids as a treatment for cancer - which can trigger nasty side effects, including rapid mood swings, behavioural changes, confusion and altered cognitive patterns
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 decline in his physical state has led outsiders to wonder if he's battling a serious illness as others claim his decisions relating to the Ukraine war may be caused by "psychological instability".
It comes as horrifying details emerge of mass killings and Ukrainian men being slaughtered in the street, in the previously Russian occupied areas around Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces have been greeted with scenes of dead bodies littering the streets.
At least 280 people were found dead in the village of Bucha, after Russian forces left the settlement.
Photos show the widespread destruction and horrific actions of the Russian armies as video footage shows Ukrainian troops having to slalom their trucks down the streets to avoid all the dead bodies.
