Vladimir Putin: Critic on Russian President’s 'hit list' reveals why the war 'will never stop'

Historian Yuri Felshtinsky,who’s allegedly on Vladimir Putin’s 'hit list', has revealed why he fears the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

Russia's war in Ukraine 'will never stop'

With the one year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaching, there has been speculation that Russia will launch a major new offensive to mark the occasion. Indeed, Felshtinsky has expressed his concerns the war will not come to an end anytime soon. Dr Felshtinsky, friend of the murdered Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko and author of Blowing up Ukraine told Express:

[The Kremlin] have now approximately 320,000 Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. This includes approximately 50-70 thousand convicts which is a very unprecedented phenomenon. They probably lost between 80,000 and 100,000 troops.

This does not include wounded personnel who will not return to fight. But Russia has the ability to mobilize additional 180-250 thousand troops, probably.

This will take some time, but they may increase the total amount of troops to half a million. They will go on and on.

He added:

This war, unfortunately, will never stop unless Russia is removed from Ukraine.

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On Vladimir Putin's 'hit list'

Felshtinsky and the then-officer for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Litvinenko, collaborated on the book called Blowing Up Russia, which investigated the FSB's growing control over the country.

In 2006, Litvinenko tragically died in London from acute radiation syndrome, three weeks after he was poisoned by consuming a 'major dose' of the radioactive substance, polonium-210, which was put in his tea.

In 2007, the dissident ex-FSB lawyer Mikhail Trepashkin declared, based on information from a source who referred to the FSB, that all those who played a role in the publishing of Blowing Up Russia would be murdered.

So it seems Felshtinsky is now on Putin's 'hit list', with Trepashkin claiming that three FSB agents had flown to Boston to assassinate him.

Sources used:

- Daily Express: ''I'm on Putin hit-list - here's why I'm terrified of the Ukraine war's first anniversary''

- BBC:'What is polonium-210?'

- AP Archive: 'Russia Trepashkin'