Process to replace Putin is already underway – Piontkovsky

He stated this on Espreso.

The political scientist stated that Prygozhin not only insulted Gerasimov and Shoigu, even shooting their portraits with a machine gun, but also made derogatory remarks about the commander-in-chief himself, which is a serious matter. It implies that someone authorized him to do so. The program to replace Putin is already in motion, and Prigozhin is being extensively utilized, but he may eventually be removed.

According to Andriy Piontkovskyi, critical posts about the Russian "military operation" lead to people being imprisoned for 10 years across Russia, but Prigozhin remains untouched, despite information from The Washington Post revealing his contacts with Ukrainian intelligence.

Piontkovskyi hypothesizes that Yuriy Kovalchuk, considered to be closest to Putin, is leading the operation to change power and replace Putin.

 “Kovalchuk has spent a significant amount of time alone with Putin in the bunker over the last three years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kovalchuk is one of the ideologues of the war against the West and Ukraine. Recognizing that this war is lost, he believes that replacing Putin is necessary to preserve his power clan. The decisive signal for this operation, paradoxically, would be the initiation of a Ukrainian offensive, showcasing the first visible, substantial success. The Ukrainian offensive would lead to the immediate removal of Shoigu and Gerasimov, with Prigozhin, or rather Surovikin, assuming the role of the head of the Ministry of Defense. This would mark the beginning of a power shift in Russia, and the new government would be compelled to accept a retreat to the borders of 1991. The Ministry of Defense would be blamed for the betrayal, accusing Shoigu and Gerasimov of destroying the army and being unable to resist the coalition of 60 Western states,” Piontkovskyi believes that such a scenario is being prepared, and the Kremlin is anticipating a Ukrainian offensive as much as anyone else.

• On May 16, Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, stated that Putin has a drug problem.

•  On May 20, Budanov further mentioned that the Russian Federation has a "collective Putin," and whether he is currently alive or not does not have any impact. 

• Additionally, Piontkovskyi believes that some individuals in Putin's bunker have already come to terms with Russia's inevitable defeat in the war and are now strategizing to retain power.