The General SVR Telegram channel has claimed that Vladimir Putin is considering handing back invaded territories.
Discover our latest podcast
What is General SVR?
General SVR is an anonymous Telegram channel apparently run by a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) lieutenant general who goes by the alias Viktor Mikhailovich, as reported by the NZ Herald. According to some reports, the channel is administered by Viktor Yermolaev, a lawyer from Kharkov. However, Yermolaev denied any connection with the channel to Meduza.
According to General SVR’s Youtube 'About' section, their stories are:
written by retired and active members of the intelligence and secret services of several countries, people who were directly involved, supervised or controlled the operations, who had and have access to reliable information about the events outlined.
However, it has provided no evidence to support this claim, as reported by Newsweek'sFact Check team.
What are the latest claims?
It is alleged that Putin is torn between using nuclear weapons and conceding defeat, as reported by Metro. General SVR claims that:
Without exception, all of Putin's interlocutors realised that the president simply does not have 'good' options for solving urgent and upcoming problems at the front.
The Russian President is also allegedly considering the 'extreme' option of handing back newly invaded territories in private meetings with top security and defence aides, as reported by Mail Online. General SVR said that:
Various options were discussed, from the possibility of mobilising and using tactical nuclear weapons, to opening a second front in a third country, and, finally, to "gestures of good will" with the return of the occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions to Ukraine.
Read more:
⋙ Vladimir Putin offering £13,000 to Russian mums who give birth to 10 babies
⋙ Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un become pen pals amid Western 'hostile military forces'
⋙ Vladimir Putin allegedly has a secret plot to escape to Iran