Vladimir Putin could have this influential contender in Russia's upcoming presidential elections

As Russian President Vladimir Putin is seemingly losing his grip on his leadership of the country, there is speculation as to who might succeed him.

Vladimir Putin becoming more vulnerable

Mark Galeotti, a London-based political scientist, lecturer and writer on transnational crime and Russian security affairs, told Express.co.uk that Putin's regime is now so fragile that any crisis will probably result in his downfall:

It looks still very tough but it's that much less flexible, less able to cope with crises. The point is that one of the guaranteed things in politics is you'll be confronted with the unexpected at some point.

When that happens, I think that Putin and Putin's regime will be that much less able to deal with it... This war and his rather foolish decisions around it are making his regime a lot more brittle.

Who will succeed Putin?

In its latest update on the conflict, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has claimed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group, may be considering challenging Putin in the 2024 presidential elections.

The think tank based its assessment on a March 14 interview that Prigozhin had with Russian journalists from Russia Today, RIA Novosti and Federal News Agency, published by Prigozhin’s own Federal News Agency.

Read more ⋙ Vladimir Putin may be forced out of power as Russian diplomat reveals he 'can be replaced'

Read more:

⋙ Vladimir Putin allegedly 'cuts off' close ally amid feud, but expert warns there's more to the story

⋙ Vladimir Putin’s close ally betrays the Kremlin as feud with Russian President heats up

ISW said:

Prigozhin may be using his influence in Russia's mainstream media landscape to present himself as a contender in Russia's 2024 presidential elections

It added that 'this interview was noteworthy for its unique format'. The think tank explained:

During the interview, Prigozhin seemed to mimic the way that Russian President Vladimir Putin films his choreographed public meetings

ISW believes he could have done this purposefully to 'either to mock Putin quietly or to suggest subtly that Prigozhin could become Russian president like Putin'.

The think tank said that the Wagner chief may be parodying Putin's cinematography style as part of a 'larger trolling campaign to attack the Kremlin or draw tacit parallels between Prigozhin and the office of the Russian presidency'.

ISW added:

Prigozhin has previously insinuated that he could replace Putin. Prigozhin made a sarcastic announcement on March 11 that he will run for the Ukrainian presidency in 2024—a statement that a prominent Kremlin-linked Russian scholar argued implicitly promoted a narrative that Prigozhin would run in Russia's presidential elections which are also scheduled for 2024.

Sources used:

Express: 'Putin 'unable to cope with crises' piling up in Russia as his regime's collapse predicted'

Newsweek: 'Prigozhin May Be Eyeing Challenge to Putin in 2024'