Vladimir Putin slammed by former Russian Vice-President and others: 'Old tyrant, an old dictator'

Vladimir Putin is currently facing criticism from all angles. The former Vice-President of Russia, Putin’s former speech-writer, and a former Russian intelligence officer have all spoken out against the Russian President in recent days.

Vladimir Putin is a 'laughing stock'

On Monday 30 January, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs, shared a video of Alexander Rutskoy, the former Russian Vice-President, speaking at an event where he blasted Russian military leaders. He said:

For a quarter of a century, the armed forces have been headed by totally incompetent people.

If the armed forces do not have the ability to conduct strategic offensive operations, then it is better not to try, especially outside your own country... People are dying senselessly, although the slogan is 'Defend Russia.' Where are they defending Russia? What are they dying for....? Who has the right to take a father away from his children? Who gave the right to take away sons from mothers and fathers? Nobody.

Rutskoy then took aim at Putin:

Britain blew up the Nord Stream pipelines. And what is the reaction? Nothing. Just blah-blah-blah. Why is this happening? Because from a military point of view, we have no strategic planning. [Putin] voices his intentions, which are not realized. It makes him a laughing stock.

Read more:

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⋙ Vladimir Putin's latest public appearance puts him in the spotlight, but for all the wrong reasons

Putin is an 'old tyrant, an old dictator'

Abbas Gallyamov, Putin’s former speechwriter, added fuel to the fire. He spoke to CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday, 30 January, and said:

The Russian economy is deteriorating. The war is lost. There are more and more dead bodies returning to Russia, so Russians will be coming across more difficulties and they'll be trying to find explanation why this is happening, looking around to the political process and they'll be answering themselves: 'Well, this is because our country is governed by an old tyrant, an old dictator.'

So in one year when the political situation changes and there's a really hated unpopular president at the head of the country and the war is really unpopular, and they need to shed blood for this, at this moment, a coup becomes a real possibility.

Putin has 'completely withdrawn himself' from leading the war

Finally, Igor Girkin, a former Russian intelligence officer, also had something to say. He posted a video on his Telegram social media channel on Monday, which Gerashchenko also shared on Twitter. In the clip, Girkin says:

With these ruling personages it’s impossible to conduct a real mobilization, real war preparation, or have a real war… they cannot ride on and develop the situation further with the personnel they’ve got.

That’s why our president has completely withdrawn himself from leading the special military operation. And delegated it to the Minster of Defense who utterly badly prepared his army. If that could be called a 'preparation'. A complete failure

Read more: Vladimir Putin allegedly feuding with close ally and sources reveal he could soon be 'eliminated'

Sources used:

- Newsweek: 'Russian Army Headed by 'Totally Incompetent People,' Ex-Russian VP Warns'

- CNN: 'Putin's former speechwriter says a military coup is becoming a possibility in Russia'

- Newsweek: 'Putin No Longer Leading Ukraine Effort, Girkin Says: 'A Complete Failure''