Kremlin Supporters Worry Openly About A Coup Against Putin: For the first time, some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s biggest supporters are saying out loud what would have been unthinkable before…the threat of a coup against Putin is a real possibility.
And there is growing evidence indicating that the Kremlin and Putin’s inner circle are taking the threat of a coup and internal betrayal highly seriously.
Putin in Hanoi 2024 Image by Russian Government
European intelligence reports reveal that the Kremlin has drastically tightened Putin’s personal security. The Federal Protective Service (FSO) has imposed extreme screening measures due to ongoing fears of an assassination attempt or a plot originating from within the Russian political elite.
Security Tightened, And Television Supporters’ Concerns
Back in May, CNN reported that after several assassinations of top Russian officials, the Kremlin began installing surveillance systems in the homes of close staffers.
There is increased paranoia as everyone close to Putin must be screened twice, and those working in close proximity to him can only use phones without an internet connection.
In a throwback to Stalinist days, the worry over internal threats reigns supreme. Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is considered a significant coup risk as he retains close connections within the Russian high command and is under suspicion.
High-profile state TV hosts and longtime Putin friends and supporters, such as Vladimir Solovyov, have begun broadcasting warnings about the deteriorating situation and potential internal collapse.
Solovyov, in speaking about the drone attacks on Russian cities, floated the idea of relocating hundreds of thousands of citizens from Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, Crimea, and occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson to distant areas within Russia, like the Volga, Urals, and Far East.
While urging the public to avoid full-blown panic, Solovyov admitted “things are difficult.”
Alexei Kondratiev, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, stated that Ukraine’s goal is to undermine the trust in Russia’s government and urged people not to consider any thoughts of conducting a coup against Putin.
Russian President Putin Addressing the Nation Creative Commons Image
He surprisingly said, “Any revolution in our country always ended with the death of a nation and lots of blood. We shouldn’t succumb to this.”
Russian Soldier Arrested After Video Stating The Army Will Rebel
In late June, a former Russian soldier, Alexander Lunin, posted an emotional, if foolhardy, Instagram message addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he threatened to organize a military coup.
In the Instagram video, Lunin, now a Russian milblogger, decried what he described as systemic mistreatment of Russian troops by their own officers in Ukraine, and asked for a face-to-face meeting with Putin.
“The army will turn its weapons against the Kremlin,” he said in the video, which has been viewed more than 10 million times.
Not surprisingly, Lunin was quickly detained by Russian security police soon after publishing the video. He eventually spent 11 days in jail on charges of “demonstrating extremist symbols.”
Lunin changed his tune after being visited by security police, and in an expletive-filled second video, he claimed he had not threatened a military mutiny, saying that if officers or soldiers wanted to stage a rebellion, they would do so quietly and not come to him to issue a warning.
Situations like this would have been unthinkable a short time ago.
The First Inkling Of A Coup Was Three Years Ago
On June 23–24, 2023, the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, formerly known as “Putin’s chef”, staged an armed rebellion against the Russian government.
The mutiny concluded within 24 hours after a heavily armed convoy took control of Rostov-on-Don and advanced toward Moscow.
The short-lived uprising came about after months of mounting tensions between Prigozhin and Russia’s military leadership over the handling of the war in Ukraine.
Citing a deadly missile attack on Wagner troops by the Russian Defense Ministry, Prigozhin called Defense Minister Shoigu “a scumbag” and ordered a “March for Justice.”
Wagner forces rapidly seized the southern city of Rostov-on-Don—the primary Russian staging ground for the Ukraine war—and dispatched a column of armed mercenaries racing north toward the capital.
During their advance, they shot down several Russian military helicopters and a communications plane. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal with Prigozhin to end the mutiny against Moscow. Wagner troops relocated to Belarus.
Two months later, an aircraft carrying Prigozhin and several high-ranking Wagner officers exploded, killing all on board, in what many believe was a targeted assassination. Putin then effectively dismantled, absorbed, and then replaced Wagner’s remaining members.
That was the first sign of vulnerability for Putin, but it was not the last. And as the attacks on Russia, especially Moscow, increase, the security apparatus around Putin will tighten.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
