Vladimir Putin faces a revolt from sections of Russian society following the death of a prominent blogger, according to a foreign affairs expert.
Vladlen Tatarsky, a pro-war Russian military blogger, was killed in a St Petersburg cafe blast.
According to the Daily Telegraph’s Foreign Affairs Editor Con Coughlin, Tatarsky played a “central” role in drumming up propaganda for Putin as he wages war in Ukraine.
Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had more than 560,000 followers on Telegram, and he was killed in an explosion where more than 30 people were wounded.
Putin is dealing with an 'enemy within', according to a foreign affairs expert
GB News
Reports suggest a bomb was hidden in a statue that had been presented to the blogger in a box as a gift during a public meeting.
St Petersburg woman Daria Trepova has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing, according to a report, which said that she had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies.
Speaking on GB News, Coughlin says Tatarsky’s death will do Putin no favours, potentially stemming a new bout of public revolt against the war.
“There’s been an arrest and it’s a Russian woman. The Russians initially said it was Ukraine that did this, but it seems to be the enemy within.
“The Russian people are finally starting to turn on those responsible for this dreadful war.
“Whether or not this girl is responsible, we’ll have to see. But it just shows that not all is well in the state of Russia and that the suggestions that have been made recently may be accurate.
“These include that Putin’s in a lot of trouble and the economy collapse is unpopular, that the casualties are unsustainable.
“Some of these issues are coming home to roost.”
Con Coughlin says the death of a prominent figure spells bad news for Putin
GB News
It comes following the announcement that Finland has joined NATO, a move that Coughlin believes could be a big strategic plus point for the west.
“They won’t be happy at all”, Coughlin said, in reference to Russia’s reaction to the news.
“This helps to secure our northern flank against Russia. Of course the Finns have a bitter experience of fighting with the Russians over the years and part of their deal with Russia was to remain neutral, as did Sweden, and the fact they’ve given up their neutrality and come into the NATO fold shows you the Russian threat to Europe is very serious and not confined to Ukraine.
“Also, having Finland in NATO will be a great resource. It really helps us defend our northern borders and if we can get Sweden as well that will be an even greater boost.”
Rishi Sunak has commented on the move from Finland, saying their decision to join the alliance has made it stronger, and urged Sweden to follow suit.
The Prime Minister said: “This is an historic day for Finland and for Nato.
“Their accession has made our alliance stronger and every one of us safer.
“All Nato members now need to take the steps necessary to admit Sweden too, so we can stand together as one alliance to defend freedom in Europe and across the world.”
Meanwhile the UK announced £10 million for Nato’s support package for Ukraine, providing non-lethal aid such as medical equipment, rations, fuel and counter-drone equipment.
Some £2 million will also go to Nato efforts to help Georgia, Moldova and Bosnia & Herzegovina defend themselves against Russian activity.