There is “more speculation” in Russia that Vladimir Putin could lose the next election after he made a “huge strategic mistake” by invading Ukraine, Western officials said on Tuesday. The Russian president is likely to face “political consequences” when the country goes to the polls in 2024, especially as rumors of his health continue to circulate, they said. The Kremlin has suppressed independent media and freedom of speech in a bid to prevent the events of the country’s widely condemned war from reaching the population. However, the punishment of sanctions in response to the invasion and the withdrawal of large companies, have put the Russian economy on track for the largest contraction since 2008. The Russians said they would welcome them to Ukraine, but in the five months since the start of the war, the country has seen a “huge increase in funeral expenses”, with an estimated 20,000 soldiers killed in the fighting.
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“The elections in June 2024 certainly look more interesting than maybe six months ago,” Western officials said. They added: “The damage that [Putin] makes in Russia standing in the world, in Russia economically, in the future of Russia. The way it humiliates Russia. There will be political consequences. “People are talking more about succession now than they were six months ago. So it seems to me that I am reopening this debate. “And the next kind of possible opening is 2024. Of course, it may not happen because elections may not take place.” Officials added that it was unlikely Putin would see any threat to his leadership before 2024, but there was also “definitely more talk of his health” in the country. But “it is clear and it becomes clearer as we move towards autumn, that [the invasion] “It was such a huge strategic mistake,” they said. Earlier this month, Putin appeared swollen and trembling as he presented a medal during the Russian Federation State Award, fueling speculation about his fitness. There have been unverified allegations that the 69-year-old is battling cancer. Moscow has denied the allegations and insisted it was healthy. It comes as Britain’s defense chiefs say Mr Putin’s navy has been “largely neutralized” by Ukraine’s defense of its ability to control part of the Black Sea. The UK Department of Defense has highlighted the alleged “first successful use of Harpoon anti-ship missiles donated by the West” to sink a Russian tug. The attack had thwarted Russia’s efforts to replenish its forces on Snake Island, which was fought hard. The Foreign Ministry said: “On June 17, 2022, Ukrainian forces requested their first successful use of Western-donated Harpoon anti-aircraft missiles to engage Russian naval forces. “The target of the attack was almost certainly the Russian naval tug Spasatel Vasily Bekh, which was delivering weapons and personnel to Snake Island in the northwestern Black Sea. “The destruction of the Russian ship on a supply mission demonstrates the difficulty Russia faces in trying to support its forces occupying Snake Island.”
