Unconfirmed reports are surfacing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to undergo cancer surgery and will temporarily transfer his authority to Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Russian federal police’s Security Council, while he is undergoing the medical procedure.
What Happened: A Russian-language Telegram channel called "General SVR" first reported the news in a posting that is no longer online. The New York Post reported the channel is allegedly run by someone calling himself “Viktor Mikhailovich,” although the channel’s operator is reportedly a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service lieutenant general.
The Telegram channel posted a video on Saturday announcing the surgery, while noting Putin would be incapacitated for “a short time.”
What Else Happened: The British newspaper The Mirror published news based on “unconfirmed reports” that Putin handpicked Patrushev to run Russia while he is temporarily incapacitated. Patrushev is a former KGB counterintelligence officer and is believed to have been the architect of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The General SVR channel claimed that Putin considers Patrushev as his “only truly confidant and friend in the system of power.”
As of this writing, there has been no confirmation of this story from the U.S. Department of State or any independent entity outside of Russia.
Photo: Dimitro Sevastopol / Pixabay
