An attempted assassination by poisoning has been made on Vladimir Putin’s de facto deputy, according to a sensational new claim.
Nikolai Patrushev, 71, a former head of the FSB secret service and secretary of the Kremlin’s security council, was reportedly rushed to hospital in recent days after falling unwell.
General SVR, a dissident Russian Telegram channel which claims to be operated by a former Kremlin official with inside sources, said toxicology test results revealed Patrushev had been afflicted by a ‘synthetic poison’, but had ultimately survived the attempt on his life.
The former FSB head is widely seen as the man to whom Putin hands power when he is absent for medical treatment, and is also a key architect of the war in Ukraine.
His son Dmitry, 44, is Russia’s agriculture minister and is tipped by some pundits as a likely successor to Putin.
It comes as the same channel reported the warmongering Russian leader is expecting a daughter with former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, who is widely thought to be Putin’s mistress.
Nikolai Patrushev, 71, a former head of the FSB secret service and secretary of the Kremlin’s security council, was reportedly the subject of an assassination attempt
General SVR, a dissident Russian Telegram channel which claims to be operated by a former Kremlin official with inside sources, said toxicology test results revealed Patrushev had been afflicted by a ‘synthetic poison’, but had ultimately survived the attempt on his life
Dmitry Patrushev (R), Minister of Agriculture of Russia since May 2018 and son of Nikolai Patrushev – the former Director of FSB and current Secretary of the Russian Security Council – shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin (L)
‘Recently, an attempt on the life of the secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Patrushev, was made,’ said the Telegram channel, citing Kremlin sources.
‘Information about both the assassination attempt itself and the investigation into this assassination attempt is kept in strict secrecy.
‘It is known that Nikolai Patrushev felt unwell in the evening after work, almost immediately after he went home. Security quickly worked, immediately calling a team of doctors to him.’
‘After rendering assistance, Patrushev was taken home in a stable condition. The results of his analysis confirmed that the toxic substance was a synthetic poison.’
The report claimed that Patrushev ‘was saved by timely medical care and, probably, by an insufficiently high concentration of the poisonous substance that entered the body through the skin’.
Putin was told of the alleged attack only ‘when Patrushev’s life was no longer in danger’, it was claimed.
‘Who is behind the assassination attempt, what are the motives and how it became possible in general to organise an actually completed assassination attempt on a representative of such a high level of power, remains to be seen.’
The channel pointed to in-fighting within Putin’s circle, adding: ‘This is only the beginning of a big redistribution in the elites.
‘Knowing the details of what happened, we can say with confidence that it was not staged.
‘Over time, we will publish detailed material on the topic of this assassination attempt, with rather interesting details.’
The channel did not say when the alleged attack took place.
Patrushev was seen on July 5 and 6 in Russia’s eastern territories, but had not appeared publicly since then until he supposedly attended a televised video conference of Russian officials on Friday – though he was not shown clearly.
He was not visible until supposedly being an attendee at a security council meeting on Friday, although he was not shown clearly.
Dmitry Patrushev, 44, is Russia’s agriculture minister and is tipped by some pundits as a likely successor to Putin
An earlier post from General SVR suggested Patrushev could work in tandem in future with Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikonova, 35 (pictured), amid rumours she will soon enter parliament and be given a senior role
‘In the understanding of a narrow circle of people who have access to the presidential ear, Katerina Tikhonova is the only person who can act as a guarantor of the stability of the existence of the Putin regime, without being a direct successor,’ the channel said
The same channel has previously claimed that Putin – ailing from cancer and other illnesses – is preparing to anoint a successor which could prove to be Patrushev’s son Dmitry.
But there is no independent confirmation of the poisoning claim, or that Putin is looking to the younger Patrushev as his heir.
An earlier post from General SVR suggested Patrushev could work in tandem in future with Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikonova, 35, amid rumours she will soon enter parliament and be given a senior role.
The report said: ‘Today, Putin is the only guarantor of the stability of the system, and this, in the conditions of war and circulating information about the serious illnesses of the president, begins to cause maximum anxiety among the elites,’ said the post.
‘In the understanding of a narrow circle of people who have access to the presidential ear, Katerina Tikhonova is the only person who can act as a guarantor of the stability of the existence of the Putin regime, without being a direct successor.
‘In general, Putin approves of such a position of succession as Dmitry Patrushev as the president, and Katerina Tikhonova as the mistress of the power system.’
Speculation over Putin’s potential heirs comes as General SVR also reported the Russian president is expecting a daughter with longtime mistress Alina Kabaeva.
The 69-year-old Kremlin leader (left) is believed to have two secret sons with the Olympic gold-winning rhythmic gymnast (right) – once dubbed ‘the most flexible woman in Russia’
Vladimir Putin is ‘expecting a daughter’ with his ex-gymnast ‘lover’ Alina Kabaeva (pictured) despite the Russian President claiming he ‘has enough children as it is’, according to a new report
General SVR’s report read: ‘We have already reported that Alina Kabaeva (pictured), the cohabitant of the President of Russia, is pregnant. Yesterday the sex of the unborn child became known – it is a girl’
The 69-year-old Kremlin leader is believed to already have two secret sons with the Olympic gold-winning rhythmic gymnast, once dubbed ‘the most flexible woman in Russia’.
Kabaeva, 39, was pictured pregnant in 2015 and a report later claimed a boy was born in secrecy in Switzerland the same year, according to a source linked to the obstetrician who was at the birth.
Meanwhile, the gymnast’s second son was delivered in Moscow in 2019 with the same specialist flying to Russia for the birth, according to an investigation by Swiss broadsheet newspaper Sonntagszeitung.
General SVR’s report read: ‘We have already reported that Alina Kabaeva, the cohabitant of the President of Russia, is pregnant. Yesterday the sex of the unborn child became known – it is a girl.’
However, the Russian tyrant was said to be unimpressed – the same report claimed that when Putin was told of the news, he grumbled: ‘I have enough children as it is, and had enough daughters long ago’.
Putin, who will be 70 this year, has denied a relationship with Kabaeva since 2007. He has hidden his alleged secret family from voters and was not present at the births of either of her children.