Vladimir Putin undergoes cancer surgery; hands Russia over to police chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to undergo cancer surgery and is said to be handing over control of the country to Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Russian federal police’s Security Council, according to media reports.

Putin is understood to be giving Patrushev temporary control of the government while he is incapacitated during and after surgery, according to a video from Telegram channel “General SVR” on Saturday.

The channel — which is purportedly run by a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service lieutenant general known by the pseudonym “Viktor Mikhailovich” — reported that Putin has been told by doctors that he must undergo an operation.

“Putin is unlikely to agree to hand over power for a longer period of time,” the narrator of the video states, adding that the control of the country will likely be in Patrushev’s hands for no more than two to three days.

“I will say that this is the worst option,” the narrator adds. “Patrushev is an outright villain. He is no better than Vladimir Putin. Moreover, he is a more cunning, and I would say, more insidious person than Vladimir Putin. If he comes to power, Russians’ problems will only multiply.”

“Viktor Mikhailovich” ominously hinted that he and his allies “will make certain efforts so this does not happen, and I hope we will succeed.”