Putin hit out at US President Joe Biden yesterday for calling him a “war criminal” for the first time over Russia’s war in Ukraine. As the conflict enters its fourth week, the Kremlin branded Mr Biden’s comments “unacceptable”. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency Tass: “We believe such rhetoric to be unacceptable and unforgivable on the part of the head of a state, whose bombs have killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world.”

Mr Biden’s comments came after multiple Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine, including the bombing of a theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol.

The venue was sheltering hundreds of people in its basement, including children, before the airstrike on Wednesday.

Russian companies and individuals have been heavily sanctioned over Putin’s actions in Ukraine.

With the tyrant still clinging to power, a Russia expert has revealed how he could be forced from his post.

Professor Nikolai Petrov, a senior research fellow on the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, spoke to Express.co.uk.

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He claimed Russia’s business elite, including military suppliers and media moguls, will “destabilise the system” as they “fight each other for their piece of the pie” in Russia’s crippled economy.

He said: “They will fight against each other and it will destabilise the system.

“It will not be an uprising against Putin or at least it will not start as such.

“But it will be their fight, leading to the further weakening of the regime.

“And finally, it can lead to Putin’s disappearance as the supreme arbiter who is providing this balance between all major elite groups.”

“This is not just political ideas, but in order to survive, they need to keep their piece of pie as big as possible.”

He added: “This will be very problematic for Putin, to keep the balance between the major elite groups in this environment.”

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began last month, new data has laid bare the impact sanctions are having on the Russian economy.

Global maritime trade with Russia has more than halved, according to financial data provider Refinitiv.

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As well as sanctions, the danger posed by the invasion has also deterred shipping companies, especially in the Black Sea, where Russian missiles have been fired into Ukraine.

This week UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced 370 new sanctions against Russia under the new Economic Crime Act.

This means the UK has designated over 1,000 individuals and entities since the invasion began.