Vladimir Putin is facing more and more opposition in the Kremlin as oligarchs and politicians begin to voice anger over the war in Ukraine, an expert has said.
Historian and Russia expert Amy Knight said Putin’s reshuffle after the election created “unhappiness” at the top of Russian politics.
She told Times Radio: “After the elections, there was a big shake-up in the Russian government…to me this reshuffle, right in the middle of this war effort, by rational thinking created some unhappiness.”
Putin removed one of his closest allies, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, from his position despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Ms Knight added: “Along with this, Shoigu has been running this war effort until he was moved, right after this investigation into corruption started. Many people directly subordinate to Shoigu were implicated. One was criminally charged.
“What I am saying is that a backdrop to any signs of discontent…the fact that there has been this reshuffle means not all is running smoothly.
“Then Oleg Deripaska, one of the richest Russian oligarchs, all of a sudden he is in Japan and does an interview saying this should stop immediately and it is madness.
“Russian experts are saying that Deripaska would not be saying this if other influential people didn’t agree with him.”
Deripaska made his comments in August at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council.
This comes after Putin’s former speechwriter, Abbas Gallyamov, told the Daily Express in August that figures in the Kremlin are “questioning” Putin’s leadership after Ukraine‘s incursion into the Kursk region.
He said: “The process of questioning Putin’s leadership is already on the go and failure in Kursk will definitely speed up the process.
“The more Ukrainians are present on the Russian soil – the stronger and deeper the process goes.
“The process of questioning Putin’s leadership is already on the go and failure in Kursk will definitely speed up the process.
“The more Ukrainians are present on the Russian soil – the stronger and deeper the process goes.