Russian President Vladimir Putin has survived an assassination attempt, a Ukrainian military official has said. The confession comes amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has intensified, and rumors surrounding Mr Putin’s health.
Major General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence service, said the “failed” attempt took place in the Caucasus — an area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea — shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
He spoke about the incident with Ukraine Pravda†
“There was an attempt to assassinate Putin… He was even attacked by representatives of the Caucasus not so long ago,” Budanov said, according to the Ukrainian press.
“This is non-public information. (It was an) Absolutely failed attempt, but it actually happened… It was about 2 months ago,” he added.
Ukraine Pravda said the full interview with Mr. Budanov will be broadcast on Tuesday.
The claim has not been verified but comes weeks after reports emerged that Mr Putin underwent surgery to remove fluid from his abdomen.
The operation “went well and without complications”, the emphatically said the report, with the information attributed to the Telegram channel General SVR which is linked to Russia’s foreign intelligence agency.
Furthermore, an oligarch with close ties to the Russian leader is said to have said “Putin is very ill with blood cancer”.
Earlier this month, in an interview with Sky NewsMr Budanov predicted that the war in Ukraine would reach a turning point in mid-August and be over by the end of this year, leading to a change of leadership in Russia.
He had also claimed that a coup is underway to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin and cannot be stopped.
As for Mr Putin, he publicly disclosed in 2017 that he survived at least five assassination attempts and claimed he was not concerned about his safety.