Britain 'must prepare for sudden collapse of russia' after failed putin coup

Britain must prepare for the sudden collapse of Russia after the failed coup against Vladimir Putin, senior government sources have warned. In rapidly-evolving events over the weekend, the

Wagner mercenary group marched towards Moscow and were just 120 miles away when a last-minute deal was struck with the Kremlin. As part of the agreement the private military group's

leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, a critic of Russia's military leadership, will be exiled to Belarus. Since the Russian President launched his Ukraine invasion British officials have believed

the war could lead to political unrest in Moscow. But the speed of the weekend's developments has left diplomats preparing for different outcomes. READ MORE: WAGNER GROUP'S COUP IS

'GAME-CHANGER' FOR PUTIN AS HIS DAYS ARE NOW 'NUMBERED' A senior government source told The Times: “From the very beginning of the invasion, one of the most obvious

scenarios was that the war could lead to political unrest back home in Russia. “We have to wait, watch and see what comes next. This could be chapter one of something new. Or it might be all

over for Wagner. We must prepare for a whole range of different scenarios.” Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said the rebellion showed "real cracks" in Mr Putin's

regime. He told CBS News: “This was a direct challenge to Putin’s authority. It raises profound questions.” Conservative MPs have warned it spells the beginning of the end for the Russian

leader. Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defence Committee and a former soldier, told the Express: "It is game-changing and it's dangerous. We've moved into a very

volatile period for Russia. "The immediate may have been diffused but this is a dangerous game-changer for Putin and his days are now, in my view, numbered. “The Wagner group may have

been muted and its leader exiled but Putin is significantly weakened and his enemies are now circling, realising that his whole pretence of power is diminishing. “When a Russian leader has

to contain a coup by offering the coup leader a place in exile rather than defeating him directly then you know power is draining from the Kremlin.” Tory MP Bob Seely, also an ex-soldier,

predicted it will boost Ukrainian morale and spell the end of Mr Putin. He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: "I think there are three outcomes. "That the Ukrainian morale

is going to be massively boosted on the battlefield and the Russian morale will be hit, because although state broadcasters are very heavily censored and controlled, the Telegram social

media channels are accessible by about 40% of Russians. So the soldiers are going to know what's going on. "Secondly, I think Putin is finished, whether it's going to take two

days or two years to finish him off. Once your dictator loses the appearance of invincibility, loses the appearance of strength, their days absolutely are numbered. "And I think

thirdly, internally for Russia, I think very serious machinations or plotting is now going to begin."