Vladimir Putin's Inner Circle Chooses Successor as Ailing Russian Leader's Health Suffers Sharp Decline: Report

Vladimir Putin’s inner circle reportedly chose a successor to take the Russian leader’s place should he die in office, RadarOnline.com has learned.

In the latest development to come following rumors and reports that Putin’s health suffered a sharp decline in recent months, sources familiar with the matter indicated that Moscow found someone to succeed the 71-year-old Russian leader.

According to Daily Mail, Putin’s inner circle selected a successor over the weekend after the Russian despot’s doctor said that Putin’s death was “only a matter of time.”

The Telegram channel General SVR also claimed that Putin’s rumored battles with cancer and Parkinson’s disease had advanced significantly in recent weeks and that his death is "imminent amid a sharp deterioration in his health.”

Putin’s inner circle did not publicly announce who they chose to succeed Putin should he die in office.

General SVR indicated that Moscow agreed to place a body double in Putin’s place to hide his death from the rest of the world.

As RadarOnline.com reported last week, the Kremlin was scrambling to find Putin a successor amid concerns regarding his deteriorating health.

General SVR claimed that Putin’s inner circle was secretly fighting over who should be named the next Russian leader.

Several of the Kremlin officials reportedly suggested placing a body double in Putin’s place.

“The attending doctors predict Putin's imminent death amid a sharp deterioration in his health,” General SVR said last week. “In the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a fuss began with an attempt to create a consensus around the idea of the continuation of the existence of the Putin regime after Putin."

“There is a general understanding that for some time it is possible to use a double of the president after the death or removal from power of the real Vladimir Putin,” the channel continued. “Almost all interested parties are ready to rally around a double who can be controlled.”

“The only problem is who will control the double, and this requires mutual trust, which simply does not exist,” General SVR noted at the time.

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Meanwhile, other Kremlin officials reportedly rallied behind top Putin security aide Nikolai Patrushev, while others expressed support for Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

The Telegram channel indicated that Putin “refuses to leave any instructions” about what to do should he die in office, which ultimately caused further chaos and confusion among his inner circle should that possibility arise.

“Putin himself refused to leave any instructions or covenants on what to do after him, preferring to withdraw into himself, and perhaps deciding that the chaos after him is the best legacy,” General SVR said last week.

“Be that as it may, the end will come very soon,” the anti-Putin outlet added. “Power in Russia in a crisis situation traditionally goes to the one who turns out to be the most daring.”