According to Ukrainian intelligence, if Russian President Vladimir Putin is removed from power, his successor may be the current director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Aleksandr Bortnikov. At least, this is the option considered by representatives of the Russian elite.
This was reported on Facebook by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
Ukrainian intelligence claims that a certain part of the Russian political elite considers Bortnikov as Putin's successor.
"It is noteworthy that it is Bortnikov who has recently fallen into disgrace on the part of the Russian dictator. The official reason for the disgrace of the FSB head is the fatal miscalculations in the war against Ukraine. It was Bortnikov and his agency that was responsible for analyzing the mood of the Ukrainian population and the ability of the Ukrainian army," the report said.
It should be noted that Putin himself also moved to higher positions from the post of director of the FSB, which he headed in 1999 before being appointed prime minister and subsequently acting president of Russia. He had worked for the special services (KGB of the USSR) since the mid-1970s.
As a reminder, intelligence agencies earlier reported that the Russian elite was considering several options for Putin's removal, including poisoning, a sudden illness or an accident.
