Putin ‘is terminally ill with cancer’ and his death is coming ‘very fast’ says Ukraine’s spy chief
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Vladimir Putin is terminally ill with cancer and will die very soon, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief has said.
Kyrylo Budanov said he knows that the Russian despot’s death is imminent due to an ongoing cancer illness.
Budanov, who is the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, discussed the ongoing war and the Russian leader in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday.
He added that he hopes there will be a transfer of power to another Russian crony after Putin’s death.
Kyrylo Budanov (pictured) said he knows Putin’s death is imminent due to an ongoing cancer illness, undated
Speculation about Putin’s health has been ongoing for several years. Pictured: Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, January 2022
ABC News’ Britt Clennett asked Budanov if Putin was terminally ill, and the spy chief immediately replied “of course.”
Budanov, in his non-native English, added: “He’s been sick for a long time.”
Asked when he thinks Putin’s death will come, Budanov said he thought it would be very soon.
‘I think very fast. I wish.’
Speculation about Putin’s health has been ongoing for several years. The 70-year-old Russian leader is rumored to be suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s disease and many other ailments.
“We think it’s cancer,” Budanov said.
“We know this from human sources” close to Putin, he added.
Budanov, who is the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, spoke about the ongoing war and the Russian leader. Pictured: Major General Kyrylo Budanov (2nd right) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (2nd left), undated
ABC News’ Britt Clennett asked Budanov if Putin was terminally ill, and the spy chief immediately replied “of course.”
Budanov was also asked what he thought would happen after Putin’s death, whether someone inside the Kremlin would take over and whether the war in Ukraine would continue.
He responded by saying that he hoped there would be ‘a replacement and transfer of power’, suggesting that this would be to one of Putin’s cronies.
‘This war must end before [Putin] is dying,’ added Budanov.
The General SVR Telegram channel, which purports to have several inside sources in the Kremlin, said Putin’s doctors recently noted a “significant deterioration in his health” and recommended that he stay away from any public appearances so he can rest.
The Telegram channel also reported that Putin now gets tired very quickly.
He is also prone to “frequent bouts of dizziness and headaches” as well as “clouding of consciousness,” he added.
Asked when he thinks Putin’s death will come, Budanov said he thought it would be very soon. Pictured: Putin grips the desk in a meeting with the head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, in August 2022.
Vladimir Putin is terminally ill with cancer and will die very soon, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief has said. Pictured: Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence on the outskirts of Moscow on December 14, 2022
Reports of Putin’s failing health have been backed by the cancellation of several planned trips and public engagements.
Last week, on December 28, Putin withdrew from a planned trip to Pskov, a city near the Estonian border. The cancellation was officially attributed to “unfavorable flight conditions”, but weather forecasts suggested that the sky was clear.
Also on file was a visit to Russia’s largest tank plant in Nizhny Tagil in the Ural Mountains. Even the usual appearance at a year-end meeting of his government ministers was cancelled.
Putin also refused to continue his traditional December press conference, at which the president typically speaks for up to four hours and answers questions from reporters and onlookers. Even Putin’s beloved New Year’s Eve ice hockey game was cancelled.