Rumors have been swirling for months about the possible fall of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin (70). Prominent Russian opposition figure Ilya Ponomarev (47) has now for the first time outlined what a possible overthrow of the Kremlin chief could look like.
“In our situation, a violent and armed protest is inevitable. I don’t think it will work without armed resistance,” the Putin nemesis told the US portal Newsweek. But as much as these announcements attract, they raise just as much doubt.
‘National Republican Army’ wants to overthrow Putin
Ponomarev was a member of the Russian parliament from 2007 to 2016. In 2014, he was the only MP to vote against the annexation of Crimea. The opposition figure is currently living in exile in Kiev.
Since last summer, he has presented himself as the spokesman for an underground group called the National Republican Army (NRA), whose goal is to overthrow the Russian president by force. The group is said to be responsible, among other things, for the attack on the war supporters Darya Dugina († 30).
On August 21, the NRA published a statement on the Telegram channel «Rospartizan». In it, the group announced further violent actions against politicians, officials, businessmen and other people who support Putin’s regime. “Let’s cleanse our motherland of the filth!” the group summons its followers. “The victory will be ours!”
Thousands of Russians are involved
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine created the conditions for a “new Russian revolution,” Ponomaryov said. Preparations for this have long started in Ukraine: “We are now preparing military elements with Russians who will fight alongside the Ukrainian army on the front line,” he explains. According to Ponomarev, there are about 4,000 Russian citizens who want to fight Putin. “They are ready to go to Russia at the crucial moment.”
His network reaches far – even as far as Russia, Ponomaryov reveals between the lines. The NRA is not the only underground group with guerrilla targets: “I also speak very actively with others,” explains the opposition figure.
Major Doubts About Ponomaryov and the NRA
But the statements of Ilya Ponomarew are met with serious doubts. For opposition activists advocating nonviolent resistance, Ponomarev has long been viewed critically. Even Leoni Volkov, chief of staff for Putin’s nemesis Alexei Navalny, called Ponomaryov a “clown” in a Twitter post.
Experts also question the credibility of the move. Despite Telegram’s statement, there is “no solid evidence” for the existence of the NRA, political scientist Fabian Burkhardt tells ZDFheute. But it cannot be ruled out that the group wants to radicalize the resistance in Russia.
Putin’s 70th birthday was his last
In any case, Ilya Ponomarev sees the right time for the revolution in the near future. “I think it will happen next year,” he predicts. Putin has “greatly radicalized society”. That is why he already predicted in March that Putin’s birthday on October 7, 2022 would be his last, explains the former MP. “I’ll stick to that.” (Hi)