Putin's replacement in offing, dissatisfaction growing within Russia: Ukraine official

Vladimir Putin might soon be replaced as Russia's president as dissatisfaction against him is allegedly growing within the country amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, claimed a Ukrainian intelligence official. Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, claimed a search to find Putin's successor has already begun as "the circle" around him is narrowing, and the Russian leader is becoming increasingly toxic.

• Yusov's statement comes after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Putin on Friday over war crime allegations of illegally deporting children from Ukraine.
• Earlier on Thursday, United Nations (UN) investigators also stated that Russia had forced the transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to areas under its control count, which amounted to a "war crime."

During a recent news channel interview, Yusov said, "Within the Kremlin, there is more and more dissatisfaction with what is happening." "There is an increasingly gloomy understanding of the prospects, specifically the geopolitical catastrophe of the Putin regime. Thus, the search for Putin's successor is already underway." He claimed Putin would not be involved in the process. However, he didn't name any potential candidates.

According to Newsweek, some people have become critical of Putin as casualties pile up in the war with Ukraine, though many Russians stood with him throughout the conflict. Around 160,000 Russian soldiers have reportedly been killed in the conflict so far. Russia's invasion of Ukraine was highly denounced across the world, with the West imposing economic penalties on Moscow, which weakened its economy, too.

Putin has come under fire from some opponents for designating the invasion as a "special military operation" instead of a "war." It allegedly prevented the military from launching a full mobilization. Analysts also criticized the invasion's failure on a variety of other problems, including the difficulty of keeping troops motivated on the battlefield, particularly during the freezing winter months, and problems with military authority.

On Friday, the ICC issued an arrest order for Putin on grounds of war crimes. Although Putin is unlikely to be detained, the order will likely limit his ability to travel because most countries recognize the ICC's jurisdiction.