Vladimir Putin is poised to axe FSB spymaster Alexander Bortnikov as scapegoat for his failing war.
Sources say the move could be seen as an attempt to pin the blame on the dictator's failing war against Ukraine or even to prevent a possible coup.
But there are also claims that Bortnikov, head of the FSB, the Federal Security Service, has pleaded with Putin to allow him to retire and has been previously refused.
Last month, Bortnikov, 71, appeared to fall asleep in the middle of a Putin speech to military chiefs.
He reported to a weary and strained-looking Putin at a security council session on countering terrorism as rumours circulated over the FSB chief’s future.
The FSB was earlier blamed for a major intelligence blunder in forecasting Ukrainians would welcome invading Russians with flowers rather than bullets.
His underling Col-General Sergei Beseda, 68, head of the 5th Service of the Federal Security Service (FSB), was last year reported to have been detained over the fiasco.
Bortnikov’s assassination squad had earlier staged a failed bid to murder Putin foe Alexei Navalny with a lethal nerve agent.
He is tipped to be succeeded in charge of the Lubyanka by his ambitious deputy Sergei Korolyov, 61, who is reported to be in quarantine waiting for an audience with Putin.
Korolyov is close to one of Putin’s oldest friends, ex-premier Viktor Zubkov, 81, and opposition media reports have claimed he has mafia links.
Russia’s interior minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, 61, could also be replaced with Putin’s ex-aide-de-camp Dmitry Mironov, 54, now a Kremlin advisor.
And there are rumours of a major job for former Putin bodyguard, Alexei Dyumin, 50, governor of Tula region, who once saved the Kremlin leader from attack by a vicious brown bear.
Some claim Dyumin has been groomed as his heir.
One theory is that Putin - amid persistent rumours of his ill-health - will seek to promote his own closest acolytes to key posts before he hands over to a chosen successor.
But he may also want to remove some of the ageing ‘politburo’ surrounding him.
At a security council meeting held earlier, almost half of the participants - like Putin, who appeared to be wearing thick make-up for the cameras - were septuagenarians, and only four aged under 65.
As usual, the session was held virtually, with Putin shunning close contact even with his longtime allies.
Prominent journalist Andrey Karaulov said he expected Bortnikov to go on “vacation” and be replaced by Korolyov.
Telegram channel VChK-OGPU also predicted the replacement of Bortnikov.
