EKO HOT BLOG reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will skip the G20 summit next week over terrifying fears he could be assassinated by his critics after Russia’s crushing loss in Kherson, a pro-Kremlin mouthpiece has claimed.
Russia has started withdrawing troops from the strategic Ukrainian city in what is seen by many within the country as a humiliating defeat for Putin.
Sergey Markov, once a close adviser of the warmonger, has now claimed the secret services in the UK, US or Ukraine might try to take him out at the meeting of advanced economies in Bali next week.
He is one of several prominent Russians exploding at the country’s government over the apparent surrender in Kherson and handing Ukraine a significant boost during the nine-month-long conflict.
Posting shortly after Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Sergei Surovikin were hauled on state TV to announce the humiliating retreat, Markov wrote: “The reasons as to why Putin is not going to G20 are serious.
“1) There is a big possibility of an assassination attempt on Putin from the special services of the US, Britain and Ukraine.
“2) A possibility of humiliating situations. For example, some disabled social activist knocks Putin down – as if accidentally – and all world media splash a picture with the caption ‘President of Russia is down on all fours’. I am certain this kind of situation is being planned by some completely mad Westerners.”
She posted: “We bit a huge bite, couldn’t swallow it and are burping it back now. We burped out Izyum, Balakleya, Liman. What was the great plan?
“And anyway, what does a ‘Victory’ mean to us all? What should we do? What results must we achieve? Where should we reach so that it’s clear – this is it, this is the Victory?
“No-one knows. I think they don’t know about it in the Kremlin and nor in the Ministry of Defence.”
Sergey Mardan, a war analyst for Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, warned: “The Special Military Operation ends today with the retreat from the Russian city of Kherson. And the long war begins. Trust me, it will be long.”
But despite Russia’s withdrawal of troops from the strategic Ukrainian city, there are growing fears Putin’s men could be laying a brutal trap for opposition troops.
Ukrainian authorities continue to be on high alert and have cautioned against considering the plan to retreat from Kherson and nearby areas as a done deal.
Many fear the Russians are feigning a withdrawal to lure the Ukrainian army into an entrenched battle in the strategic industrial port city.
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press: “So far, we do not see any signs that Russia is completely leaving the city, which means that these statements may be disinformation.”
Yaroslav Yanushevych, Kherson’s Ukrainian-appointed governor, urged his residents “not to give in to euphoria” just yet.
Serhii Khlan, another Ukrainian-appointed Kherson regional official, claimed Russian forces had blown up five bridges to slow Kyiv’s forces.
Military analyst Oleg Zhdanov told the AP that Russia’s retreat “could very well be an ambush and a Russian trap to force the Ukrainians to go on the offensive, force them to penetrate the Russian defences, and in response to strike with a powerful blow from the flanks”.
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