Vladimir Putin,
the Russian President, while firing at Ukraine has also been busy firing his
staff. The former Russian intelligence official is said to have replaced nearly
1,000 staff members since February, media reports suggest. Whether the
replacement happened prior to Putin’s announcement of a “special military
operation” in Ukraine or not is unclear. Replaced staff members include cooks,
launderers, bodyguards. The dismissals happened over fears that the Russian
President could be poisoned, reports suggest.

Also Read | ‘European nation cannot be conquered’: UN chief Antonio Guterres on besieged Ukraine

For Putin, the
poisoning threat is not completely unfounded. The UK-based Daily Mail, citing
Ukrainian intelligence sources, recently reported that a plot to poison Putin
was indeed hatched. The report said that a group of ‘influential’ Russian
individuals were plotting to remove Putin from office as Western sanctions
continue to derail the Russian economy.

Also Read | Will Russia really use nuclear weapons in Ukraine? Kremlin has an answer

Ukrainian
intelligence sources suggest that the Russian Federal Security Service Director
Alexander Bortinkov is among the key players hatching the plot to eliminate
Putin. Bortinkov, 70, had worked with Vladimir Putin in the KGB – the premier intelligence
agency of the Soviet Union.

Also Read | Zelensky says negotiations continue with Russia, thanks Pope for ‘strong position’ on war

The Russian
president’s aggressive stance on Ukraine has also led some in his country
question his sanity. The rumours around him feeling threated have the potential
to seriously impact the current goings-on in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, a
change.org petition has been filed calling for sanctions against Putin’s
girlfriend Alina Kabaeva. The petition claims to represent the “citizens of
Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.”

Also Read | Over 900 civilians killed in Ukraine since Russian attack: UN

Kabaeva, 38, is
said to be Vladimir Putin’s girlfriend and mother to three of his children. An
extremely private person, Kabaeva is regarded as the most flexible woman in
Russia for her gymnastic credentials. Kabaeva is an Olympic gold medallist in
gymnastics.

While many senior
Russian officials have faced sanctions, Kabaeva has escaped unhurt. The change.org
petition has condemned Switzerland for ‘hosting’ Kabaeva. “For the first time
in modern history, your country has violated its neutrality, which it did not
even do vis-à-vis Nazi Germany,” the petition reads addressing Switzerland. The
petition also compares Kabaeva with Eva Brown, who was German dictator Adolf
Hitler’s girlfriend.