Putin May Undergo 'Cancer Surgery'... "Closest Aide Acting as Temporary Authority"

"Under Russian Legal System, Power Transfer Only Possible to Prime Minister... It Will Be a Remarkable Event"

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] Reports have emerged that Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon undergo cancer surgery, and accordingly, one of Putin's closest aides will temporarily take over the authority to command the war in Ukraine.

According to the Daily Mail on the 1st, the Russian independent media outlet 'General SVR' stated that during President Putin's cancer surgery, Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Russian Security Council and one of Putin's closest aides, will serve as the temporary acting authority.

Secretary Patrushev is regarded as a hardliner, known for telling President Putin that the Ukrainian capital Kyiv is filled with neo-Nazis and for designing the war strategy in Ukraine.

General SVR said the source of this information is an insider from the Kremlin. The insider said, "It is unknown how long President Putin will be incapacitated after the surgery, but it is expected to be for some time," adding, "For about 2 to 3 days while President Putin recovers from the surgery and regains consciousness, actual control of the country will be entrusted to Patrushev."

He continued, "It does not seem likely that President Putin will agree to transfer power," but added, "He will probably be prepared to have 'delegated duties' performed to control Russia and the war."

The Daily Mail pointed out that under Russian law, the transfer of power is only possible to the Prime Minister, so Patrushev serving as temporary acting authority would be surprising.

It also noted that General SVR is the media outlet that reported about 18 months ago that President Putin was suffering from abdominal cancer and Parkinson's disease.

President Putin's surgery was scheduled for late April but is reported to have been postponed. According to General SVR, the surgery is expected to take place after May 9, the Russian Victory Day commemorating the end of World War II.

There have been multiple rumors about President Putin's health issues. In particular, on the 2nd of last month, several foreign media outlets reported that President Putin may have undergone at least two surgeries for thyroid problems. However, the Kremlin denies these reports.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.