The warning came in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s decision to move his troops to southeast Ukraine following his unsuccessful original plan in the capital Kyiv. Mr Muraviev suggested a coup in Russia would be the result of the military and the security services seeking to remove a “soft” leader. He warned Putin’s successor would be someone “more dangerous” and “more radical” towards Ukraine and the rest of the West.
Speaking with Sky News Australia, Mr Muraviev said: “I cannot possibly see that anyone of the oligarchs who have been grabbed by their throats by Russia’s security agencies were trying to change Russia’s course of action.”
He firmly claimed: “If there is going to be a regime change it is going to be because the military and the security services would be blaming Putin for being too soft”.
Mr Muraviev follows speculations that seem to confirm the existence of an ongoing potential internal revolt between Putin and Russian intelligence agency following Putin’s unachieved objective in Kyiv.
Referring to the allegations, he also added: “[The military and Russia security services] would be actually trying to find a way out of this deadlock.”
Mr Muraviev explained: “The frustration began occurring after Putin’s press secretary Peskov effectively admitted that Russia began withdrawing its forces from the outskirts of Kyiv after Putin’s personal intervention and not Putin’s personal order.
“It did not go down really well with the Russian military and those nationalist elements in the Russian Society who want this war to be successful.”
He reiterated: “Putin began taking a lot of heat as a result of that”.
“If there is going to be any attempt to change Russia’s course of action, the military will intervene as well as Russia’s security services”.
He added: “If any regime change is going to take place, it is going to be even more radical and more dangerous for the West.
READ MORE: Putin’s economy in freefall as Russian Railways crashes into default
A series of GPS images showing an 8-mile long Russian convoy heading south east of Ukraine seem to confirm Putin’s new invasion plan to focus on south east Ukraine in response to his unachieved objective in Kyiv.
In light of Putin’s new plan in Ukraine and withdrawal of his troops from the capital, President Zelensky openly warned: “A new stage of terror will start from Ukraine”.
Such statement also follows allegations that seem to confirm use of chemical weapons in the city of Mariupol.
“One of the mouthpieces of the occupiers stated that they could use chemical weapons against the defenders of Mariupol. We take this as seriously as possible”, stated President Zelensky in reference to possible Russian use of chemical weapons in the conflict.