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In Ukraine, Putin’s Russian opponents are plotting to overthrow the Kremlin leader.
Rumors have swirled for months that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, 70, would fall. Prominent Russian opposition figure Ilya Ponomarev, 47, has now outlined for the first time what it would look like to topple the Kremlin leader.
“In our situation, violence and armed struggle are inevitable. I don’t think it will work without armed resistance,” Putin’s opponent told the American portal. “Newsweek”. But these announcements raise a number of doubts that attract attention.
The “National Republican Army” wants to remove Putin
Ponomarev was a member of the Russian Parliament from 2007 to 2016. He was the only MP to vote against the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The opposition figure is currently living in exile in Kiev.
Since last summer he has presented himself as a spokesman for an underground group called the National Republican Army (NRA), whose goal is to violently overthrow the Russian president. Among others, the group is said to be responsible for the attack on the war supporters Darja Dukina († 30).
On August 21, the NRA posted a statement on the Telegram channel “Rospartizan”. In it, the group announced further violence against politicians, civil servants, businessmen and other individuals who support Putin’s regime. “Let’s clean our motherland from dirt!” The group urges its supporters. “Victory is ours!”
Thousands of Russians are involved
Ponomaryov said Putin’s invasion of Ukraine created the conditions for a “new Russian revolution”. Preparations for this have long begun in Ukraine: “We are now preparing military elements with Russians who will fight on the front lines with the Ukrainian army,” he explains. According to Ponomarev, there are about 4,000 Russian citizens in the fight against Putin. “They are ready to go to Russia at a critical moment.”
His network reaches far — even as far as Russia, Ponomaryov reveals between the lines. The NRA isn’t the only underground group with guerrilla goals: “I’m also very active in talking to others,” the opposition figure explains.
Big doubts about Ponomaryov and the NRA
But Ilya Ponomarev’s statements are met with serious doubts. Ponomarev has long been viewed critically by opposition activists who advocate nonviolent resistance. Leoni Volkov, Putin’s arch-enemy Alexei Navalny’s chief of staff, also called Ponomario a “clown” in a Twitter post.
Experts also doubt the credibility of the movement. Despite the Telegram report, political scientist Fabian Burghardt said there is “no concrete evidence” of the NRA’s existence. ZDF today. But one cannot rule out that the group wants to intensify opposition in Russia.
“Putin’s 70th Birthday Is His Last”
In any case, Ilya Ponomarev sees the perfect moment for revolution in the future. “I think that will happen next year,” he predicted. Putin has a “very radical society”. That’s why he predicted in March that Putin’s birthday on Oct. 7, 2022, would be his last, the former MP said. “I stand by it.” (hey)
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