Strelkov Expresses Dissatisfaction with Putin's Continued Leadership

Former Russian intelligence officer and ex-commander of Russian forces in Donetsk, Igor Strelkov (Girkin), is likely to anger the militaristic segment of Russian society following his detention. This is reported in a British intelligence assessment.

The British have noted that Strelkov has long criticized the Russian Ministry of Defense for conducting the war against Ukraine. However, in recent days, he has directly criticized President Vladimir Putin, expressing dissatisfaction with his continued hold on power.

According to British intelligence, Strelkov's overt criticism of the Putin regime is linked to the failure of the Wagner group's rebellion, initiated by Prigozhin.

The agency has pointed out that Strelkov enjoys authority in the pro-military community in Russia, who respect him for his 'achievements' in Donbas in 2014. The assessment states: 'This move (the detention of Girkin) is likely to provoke outrage among the military blogger community and representatives of the Russian army, who primarily view Strelkov as a liberal military analyst and patriot.'

It is worth noting that just yesterday, a Moscow court placed Igor Strelkov-Girkin under two months of preliminary detention on suspicion of 'extremism.'

At the same time, analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that the detention of the former intelligence officer currently indicates a sharp shift in the balance of power within the Kremlin's elite.

According to the source, Strelkov has likely come under a broad wave of repression aimed at decisively suppressing any criticism directed at the Russian authorities.