Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to undergo cancer surgery and temporarily hand over power to a former federal police chief, according to a new report.
Putin will hand over control of the Russian government to Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Security Council of the Russian Federal Police, while he is incapacitated during and after the trial, according to a video shared by the mysterious Telegram channel General SVR on Saturday.
The channel – which is said to be run by a former Russian lieutenant general in foreign intelligence using the alias “Viktor Mikhailovich” – reported that doctors told Putin that he needed an operation.
According to the unconfirmed report, the awaited surgery and recovery are expected to leave Putin incapacitated for a “brief period.”
“Putin is unlikely to agree to a handover of power for an extended period of time,” says the video’s narrator, adding that control of the country is unlikely to remain in Patrushev’s hands for more than 2-3 days.
“I’ll say that’s the worst option,” adds the narrator. “Patrushev is an absolute villain. He is no better than Vladimir Putin. He is also a more cunning, and I would say more insidious person than Vladimir Putin. If he comes to power, Russian problems will only multiply.”
“Viktor Mikhailovich” menacingly indicated that he and his allies “will make certain efforts to ensure that this does not happen, and I hope that we will succeed”.
The insider claimed that Putin’s cancer is progressing, but somberly quipped that he didn’t want to give viewers “false hope.”
The 70-year-old Putin, whose frail appearance and unusually fidgety demeanor has recently raised public questions about his health, is said to be suffering from cancer and a host of other serious illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease.
Putin’s alleged health problems come at a particularly inopportune time as the war in Ukraine is now in its third month and Russia is suffering heavy battlefield casualties.
A Telegram post that appeared on Thursday claimed that Patrushev had a two-hour “heart-to-heart” conversation with Putin.
“We know that Putin has signaled to Patrushev that he practically regards him as his only trusted ally and friend in government,” the Post claimed. “Furthermore, the President has promised that if his health deteriorates, actual control of the country will temporarily pass into Patrushev’s hands.”
In early April, the writers behind the Telegram channel claimed that Putin’s doctors recommended surgery for later that month, but that didn’t happen.
General SVR has been reporting on Putin’s supposed oncology diagnosis since at least November 2020, claiming the Russian dictator is suffering from colon cancer.
Another Russian investigative news outlet, Proekt, claimed last month that Putin was visited dozens of times by a leading thyroid cancer surgeon at his Black Sea residence.
New questions about Putin’s physical condition were raised last month when he was seen clutching a desk during his meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The Kremlin has consistently denied that Putin has any medical problems.
https://nypost.com/2022/05/02/vladimir-putin-to-undergo-cancer-surgery-transfer-power/ Vladimir Putin to undergo cancer surgery, transfer power