London: The risk of a coup by the Federal Security Service (FSB) against Russian President Vladimir Putin is growing every week as the war in Ukraine continues, a whistleblower at the heart of Russian intelligence has said, Times UK reported.
The whistleblower has told Vladimir Osechkin, who is on Russia’s most-wanted list for his work in exposing abuse in prisons, in letters that chaos and discontent have engulfed the security services after the botched invasion of Ukraine.
A source within Russia’s security service, the FSB, has said that agents are increasingly frustrated with Putin’s handling of the war.
Citing his source, Russian journalist Vladimir Osechkin told The Times that Western sanctions were crippling the lifestyle of his country’s high-flying secret service agents who are allegedly being stopped from visiting their holiday homes or being able to “take their kids to Disneyland Paris”.
FSB officers are paid more than the average Russian and are given an apartment by the state, The Sun UK reported.
Osechin told The Times: “For 20 years Putin created stability in Russia. FSB officers, policemen, state prosecutors — those people inside the system — were able to live good lives.”
He said Western sanctions were ruining this and adding to a collective disillusionment in the Russian leader.
Osechkin said: “For every week and every month that this war continues, the possibility of a rebellion by those in the security services increases.”
