Likelihood Of Putin Assassination Attempt Is ‘Increasing,’ Possibly By Female Family Member, Expert Says

After theories about an assassination attempt against Russian President Vladimir Putin, were floated by Ukrainian intelligence, a Russian expert at the London-based Chatham House noted recently that “the possibility [of assassination] is increasing.” He also said he believed a female family member of the President could even be tapped to participate in the attempt.

Amid increasing economic sanctions against Russia by Western leaders, Putin’s attack on Ukraine is sparking more unrest than usual in both public spheres in Russia and within the Kremlin itself. Recently, the economist Anatoly Chubais resigned from his position as special adviser to Putin in protest of the attack. He has also left the country and does not intend to return.

Nikolai Petrov, the Chatham House expert who floated this new assassination theory, also mentioned public protests against the invasion, saying this was “the first time in Putin’s Russia that there have been so many individual and collective protests against Kremlin actions.”

Since support for the war is “far from unconditional even now,” and “will decline rapidly,” Petrov said this has strengthened his belief that there could be an attempt made on Putin’s life. He also added an unexpected dimension to the hypothesis, that a member of Putin’s own family might do it.

“I believe that if there is an assassination attempt, that might come from a female,” Petrov claimed. “Maybe a member of his family, his mistress, his daughter, his ex-wife – somebody who knows him and could actually get close to him.”

On Friday, Putin delivered a bizarre TV address where he said the West is “trying to cancel his country,” and apparently likened sanctions and other boycotts against Russia to criticism of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling “just because she didn’t satisfy the demands of gender rights.”