The international community is up in arms over the heinous acts of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
The despotic leader ordered his seemingly unwilling military over the border of neighbouring Ukraine on February 24, in an invasion styled on some of the history books' grisliest pages.
Thousands have died, sending the world into a mixture of shock, anger and despair. Around the world financial markets are faltering while in Russia the general population has been forced into queuing for essentials.
Russian protestors have been arrested in droves, with acts of dissent common despite swift arrests seeing thousands whisked away to jail cells.
In an effort to stir up national support, Putin organised a ‘pro-Russia rally’ in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on March 18. Despite claims of attendees numbering in their hundreds of thousands, reports have since surfaced that people were forced to attend by their employers - calling in to question the Russian population's appetite for war.
With pressure mounting beyond his borders and dissent rife at home, the end of Putin’s time at the top of Russian politics could be coming to an end - but who might replace him?
Who could replace Vladimir Putin as Russian president?
Putin rose to power in 1999. As a former KGB chief he has ruled with a vice-like grip over Russia for 23 years under the titles of president and prime minister.
He has given political opponents little opportunity and is allegedly behind plots to assassinate rivals and rig elections.
Because of this, his successor is someone likely to be close to him and share in his vision.
Mikhail Mishustin
Wwere Putin to step down or be deposed, Mikhail Mishustin would be the man to fill the power vacuum immediately.
He is the prime minister of Russia and is effectively the second in command.
He chairs the Russian Federation’s central government and previously served as the county's director of the taxation service. He has held the country's second top job since 2020.
Sergei Sobyanin
Sergei Sobyanin is the mayor of Moscow and an affiliate of Putin. He is, however, not thought to be in the 69-year-old’s inner circle, yet has demonstrated traits and approaches to ruling much like Putin.
A fan of a crackdown on protestors, he has been liberal with his deployment of Moscow’s police to break up dissent.
He also, like Putin, has made efforts to reduce LGBT freedoms in Russia, having banned pride parades in the city.
Sergei Shoigu
Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu has been a coordinator in the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian military is thought to largely follow his orders, although he himself takes his orders from Putin.
He is a member of the dictator’s inner circle, and so it would be a shock for him to use his control of the military to stage a coup to overthrow his boss.
Nikolai Patrushev
Since 2008, Patrushev has been at the helm of Russia’s security council - a crucial wing of the Russian government, he has control over the FSB (formerly the KGB).
The 70-year-old is likely to have approved the fatal poisoning of FSB whistleblower Alexander Litvinenko, a UK public enquiry published in 2016 found.
