On Thursday, a former aide of President Vladimir Putin suggested that due to his “second-rate dictator” image, Russia may be headed for a military coup.
Writing in a column for the Russian outlet Mozhem Obyasnit, Abbas Gallyamov noted that Russian military leaders are growing ever more discontent due to their forces’ ongoing losses on the Ukrainian front.
Adham Gallyamov, a former Russian President Vladimir Putin speechwriter, is now a political consultant. He fled his homeland in 2018 and has remained in exile in Israel ever since 2010.
Gallyamov noted in his column, as translated by The Daily Beast, that “the vast majority of commanders in the army of an authoritarian nation are not staunch supporters of the authorities, but run-of-the-mill opportunists.”
He stated that due to mounting troubles in the nation and military, for which the government is unable to provide solutions, Putin goes from being seen as a brilliant leader to a mediocre autocrat in the eyes of many.
He predicted that commanders will side with the most likely victorious party.
Gallyamov suggested that squabbles among Russia’s armed forces leaders, particularly between Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin and those in the Russian army stationed in Ukraine, are occurring due to conflicts on the battlefield.
Gallyamov stated that Prigozhin’s rhetoric has caused the regime to be completely discredited in the eyes of service members, and the anger at the authorities for turning a blind eye to his actions is increasingly intensifying.
He noted that, as the war wears on, it becomes increasingly pointless.
Recent reports from the battlefield indicate that some soldiers are refusing to fight in the war and, in the most severe cases, they are even killing their own commanders.
This week, Ukrainian authorities asserted that more than 6,500 Russian servicemen have contacted their “I want to live” hotline, established in September, according to The Guardian.
In October, Reuters reported that despite this, former Western diplomats and government officials believed Putin’s control of power was still strong.
New information has also come to light, suggesting that the Russian president is ready to fight for the long term and will launch a new attack in the coming spring.
From 2000 to 2001, and again from 2008 to 2010, Gallyamov was part of Vladimir Putin’s speech-writing team.
For the past year, Gallyamov has frequently discussed the progress of Putin’s invasion and various aspects of Russian politics.
The ex-speechwriter recently suggested that Russian President Putin has likely devised a contingency plan in case of a defeat in Ukraine, as per undisclosed sources.
Insider’s request for comment was not addressed by an official representative from the Kremlin.