Russian President Vladimir Putin is "set to hold a nuclear evacuation drill" after moving his family to a "secret underground city" in Siberia, according to an inside source.
The source is believed to be linked to ex-Kremlin intelligence and is said to have close connections to Putin's inner circle.
They previously claimed that Putin is suffering from multiple medical conditions and has said that the Russian death toll is significantly higher than what has been reported, estimating that there have been over 17,000 casualties since the beginning of the war.
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In a recent post, the Telegram channel General SVR said senior political figures at the Kremlin "were warned on behalf of the president that, perhaps in the near future, they will participate in practising evacuation in case of a nuclear war.
"All who were contacted with this warning were seriously surprised and concerned about this initiative by the President. But all, without exception, confirmed their readiness to participate."
The Express reports the channel also said: "The general mental state of Vladimir Putin has recently caused alarm among people in the president's inner circle."
Referring to claims that have been denied by the Kremlin that Putin is suffering from various medical conditions, the post said: "When Vladimir Putin, who suffers from oncology, Parkinson's disease and schizoaffective disorder, invites members of the government and the heads of the State Duma and the Federation Council [the lower and upper houses of parliament] to take part in preparing for evacuation in case of a nuclear war… it becomes not fun at all."
According to the report, Putin "often pours his anger out on those close to him". The source said: "He has no deep conversations with almost anyone, and limited contact even with his children - not only his [adult] daughters but also his [undisclosed] children with [Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast, 38] Alina Kabaeva."
The latest claims have the world on high alert for nuclear conflict as Putin's request for the nuclear drill to take place is said to have sent shockwaves through senior members of the Kremlin.
Sources have claimed Putin moved his family to a secret location in which a huge underground city resides in order to keep them safe from potential nuclear fallout.
He has previously made nuclear threats towards NATO, saying their actions will have "consequences greater than any you have faced in history" should they intervene in the Ukraine conflict.
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