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Russian police arrested five people who had proposed the arrest of officials and accused Vladimir Putin of treason for his decision to launch an invasion of Ukraine, which led to catastrophic results for Russia and its interests.
“The fact that several municipal deputies from St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown, have come forward and accused [him] of treason and asking for his removal is highly significant, “Rebekah Koffler, former DIA intelligence officer and author of Putin’s Playbook, told Fox News Digital.
“They know the punishment will be severe. They can easily be sentenced to death under Russian federal law. The significance of this act of defiance and dissent by a handful of Russian officials cannot be overstated.”
The deputies appealed to the central governing body known as the Duma to punish Putin for the countless deaths of military personnel, provoking economic sanctions from other nations, motivating NATO to expand and guiding Ukraine to build its military might.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s total invasion of Ukraine just eight months after TIME magazine announced President Biden is ready to face the Russian leader.
(Sputnik, photo of the Kremlin pool via AP)
The first point is that the president is blamed for the loss of the army, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant. The second problem is the economy. MEPs point to the withdrawal of investors from Russia and the “brain drain”.
The group also held Putin directly responsible for pushing previously neutral Finland and Sweden to join NATO, thereby increasing the alliance’s power and presence along the Russian border.
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But, one day after seven deputies drafted their appeal, the authorities ordered them to report to the police for “discrediting the army”. Two of the deputies left without further action.
Ukraine’s offensive against Russia in the disputed eastern Donbas region saw a sharp change in fortune. The Ukrainian army has advanced 30 miles in just three days since September 1, making significant progress during a major offensive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, meets with Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., And Lindsey Graham, RS.C., in Kiev, Ukraine
(Office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that the military has managed to recapture nearly 400 square miles of territory held by the Russians in recent months.
And Russia suffered significant losses during its campaign. CIA Director William Burns and British intelligence chief Sir Ronald Moore said in July that they believed Russia had lost some 15,000 troops, with “perhaps three times” the number of soldiers wounded.
If Ukraine manages to maintain this momentum, it could rekindle pressure among officials to act and turn the tide of Russia, according to Koffler.
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“It is possible that they have decided to risk their lives to give impetus to the Russian people to oust Putin, which is an incredibly difficult thing to do because Putin has surrounded himself with loyal security and intelligence agents,” explained Koffler. “Even two months ago, I would say that a coup in Russia is unlikely.
Ukrainian military fires a towed howitzer in eastern Ukraine.
(Anna Opareniuk / Ukrinform / Future Publishing via Getty Images)
“Today, with the Ukrainian counter-offensive taking hold and Russia becoming as pariah as North Korea, I do not rule out the possibility of regime change organized from within.”
Koffler noted that Mikhail Gorbachev’s death may have provoked this act of defiance. Gorbachev played a role in repairing relations between the Soviet Union and the United States and his funeral attracted thousands of Russians to mourn him despite Putin’s attempt to downplay the significance by ruling out a full state funeral and not showing up either. himself at the funeral.
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“We could be witnessing the beginning of the next chapter in Russian history,” Koffler said. “The transition period, if that is what it is, is going to be very risky. After all, we are dealing with nuclear power.”
