Putin ‘is terminally ill with cancer’ and his death is imminent ‘very soon’, says Ukraine’s intelligence chief

Vladimir Putin is terminally ill and will die soon, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service has claimed.

Kyrylo Budanov, without providing evidence, said he knew the Russian despot’s death was imminent due to a lingering cancer.

Budanov, the senior intelligence official at Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, spoke about the ongoing war and the Russian leader in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday.

After Putin’s death, he expects power to be transferred to another Russian friend.

There has been speculation about Putin’s health for years. Pictured: Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, January 2022

ABC News’ Britt Clennett asked Budanov if Putin was terminally ill, to which the spy chief immediately replied, “of course.”

Budanov added in his non-native English: “He has been ill for a long time.”

When asked when he thought Putin’s death would come, Budanov said he thought it would be very soon.

“I think very quickly. I hope.’

There has been speculation about Putin’s health for years. The 70-year-old Russian leader is rumored to be suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s and a host of other ailments.

“We think it’s cancer,” Budanov said.

“We know about human sources” close to Putin, he added.

Budanov, the top intelligence officer at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, spoke about the ongoing war and the Russian leader. Pictured: Major General Kyrylo Budanov (second from right) with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (second from left), undated

ABC News’ Britt Clennett asked Budanov if Putin was terminally ill, to which the spy chief immediately replied, “of course.”

Budanov was also asked what he thought would happen if Putin died, if someone from the Kremlin took over and if the war in Ukraine continued.

He replied that he expected there to be “a replacement and a transfer of power”, implying that it would be for one of Putin’s cronies.

“This war should have ended earlier [Putin] die,” Budanov added.

Telegram broadcaster General SVR, who claims to have some inside sources in the Kremlin, said Putin’s doctors had recently diagnosed a “significant deterioration in his health” and advised him to withdraw from all public appearances so he could rest .

The Telegram channel also reported that Putin gets tired very quickly.

He is also prone to “frequent dizziness and headaches” and “loss of consciousness,” he added.

When asked when he thought Putin’s death would come, Budanov said he thought it would be very soon. Pictured: Putin holds the desk during a meeting with National Guard Chief Viktor Zolotov at the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, August 2022

Vladimir Putin is terminally ill and will die soon, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service has said. Pictured: Putin at the state residence Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow on December 14, 2022

Reports of Putin’s ill health have been compounded by the cancellation of a number of planned trips and public engagements.

Last week, on December 28, Putin canceled a planned trip to Pskov, a city near the Estonian border. The cancellation was officially attributed to “adverse flight conditions”, but weather forecasts suggested the skies were clear.

A visit to Russia’s largest tank factory in Nizhny Tagil in the Urals has also been postponed. Even the usual appearance at a meeting of his ministers at the end of the year was cancelled.

Putin also refused to go ahead with his traditional December press conference, where the president usually speaks for four hours and takes field questions from journalists and viewers. Even Putin’s beloved end-of-year ice hockey game was cancelled.

Who can take power if Putin dies?

The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, has claimed that Vladimir Putin is terminally ill and will die soon.

In any case, should Putin die, there are a number of prominent actors who could take over.

Since the beginning of Putin’s war, Putin’s allies have loved Chechen warlords Ramzan Kadyrov and Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin have begun to vie for power and fame, suggesting that they may one day seek to replace him.

The Ukrainian secret service views Putin’s domestic policy as that of a tsar Sergei Kiriyenkoformer FSB chief Nikolai Patrushevand his son Dmitry Patrushev can also position themselves for a takeover.

Putin’s ally, Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, is fighting for power

Ukrainian intelligence believes Putin’s domestic czar Sergei Kiriyenko (pictured), former FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev and his son Dmitri Patrushev may also be positioning themselves for a takeover