Vladimir Putin reportedly has a back-up plan to escape to Africa: Here's what we know about the claims

Vladimir Putin has allegedly stashed away nearly $15 billion in an African safe haven in case he is ousted from power and must flee Moscow.

Close ties with an African leader

Vladimir Putin was supposed to take part in the G20 Summit in Indonesia but had announced that he will not attend after all.

He used the time instead to meet on Friday with an ally from Africa, namely the leader of the Central African Republic, Faustin Arcange Touadéra, the Mirror reports.

According to a statement by the Russian government, the two presidents met to strengthen the bond between the two countries.

'The presidents expressed the shared intention to intensify bilateral political, trade and economic cooperation, including in the fuel and energy sector.’

According to the same report, Touadéra’s grip on power has been secured by Vladimir Putin’s so-called ‘private army’ the ‘Wagner mercenary group’.

Alleged stash worth billions in cash and gold

However, on the Telegram app, the ‘General SVR’ channel has fueled speculation about the real intentions of Putin’s meeting with Touadéra.

The channel is known for unverified claims about Vladimir Putin, but also predicted well in advance the announcement by the Russian President about the ‘disastrous’ mobilisation campaign of reservists.

This time, the ‘General SVR’ channel is claiming that Putin arranged a meeting with his Central African Republic counterpart to verify that he is still loyal to him.

Allegedly, Vladimir Putin has stashed away a big fortune nearly $15 billion in cash and gold in underground warehouses, which are protected by the ‘Wagner’ group, Express reports.

Additionally, the 'General SVR' channel claims that the likelihood of Putin's ousting has increaseddramatically and that the Russian President is now considering his options.

‘Now Putin considers the possibility of evacuation as realistic, so it is important for him to understand that there are options and they are quite feasible.’

Sources used:

-Mirror: ‘Vladimir Putin 'stashes £12.3billion in African state' in case he needs to flee Moscow’

-Express: ‘Vladimir Putin stashes £12.3bn fund in Africa as he plans grand escape from Russia’