Vladimir Putin is afflicted with several "grave" conditions and will be dead within the next two years, Ukraine's spy chief claims.
Spies in Kyiv have infiltrated the Kremlin and gathered the information based on "human intelligence", according to spy master Major Gen Kyrylo Budanov.
Speaking with USAToday, the general said: "Putin doesn't have a long life ahead of him".
It is the next in a series of rumours surrounding the despot's ailing health which have circulated since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February.
Earlier this month he was filmed tightly gripping a table while meeting Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shogou.
Then Putin was seen swaying and seemed unsteady on his feet as he presented a prize to Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkob in Moscow.
In May, Telegram channel General SVR reported that Putin looked weak while rising from his chair during a video conference with officials due to feeling a "sharp sickness, weakness and dizziness".
Much of the speculation has been related to the despot's puffy face and shaking limbs during public appearances.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article27329783.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Russian-PresidentPutin-meets-with-Federal-Security-Service-FSB-Director-Bortnikov-outside-Moscow.jpg)
It comes after Western officials suggested speculation is mounting in Russia over who will succeed the tyrant when he dies.
Authorities didn't give a timescale but said there is no "immediate threat" to the despot's grip on power but "more chatter" about his future.
While loss of support for Mr Putin is likely to come too late to bring the Ukrainian war to a swift end, an official said there is growing talk about who will replace him.
"There is more chatter about his health, more speculation about succession," an official said.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article27338369.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Ukraines-Military-Intelligence-chief-Budanov-speaks-during-an-interview-with-Reuters-in-Kyiv.jpg)
"One of my contacts said to me President Putin did look tired and a bit old but he has dragged his country back 40 years in four months."
At the start of June, a classified US report claimed Putin had undergone cancer treatment in April.
The writers of the report, high-ranking US officials, reportedly said Kremlin insiders were "sensing that the end is near" for the 69-year-old.
It has been long-rumoured that Putin has been battling health problems such as cancer and Parkinson's.
The three spy chiefs, who are from the Director of National Intelligence, the US Air Force, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, claim that the latest intelligence report on Putin's health show there are concerns about Putin's paranoia to hold on to power.
The intelligence officials said Putin's deteriorating health will make the prospects of nuclear war less likely - but his death will still "cause chaos".
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article27338367.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_President-Putin-Of-Russia-Marks-Russia-Day-At-State-Awarding-Ceremony.jpg)
A senior intelligence officer told Newsweek : "Putin's grip is strong but no longer absolute. The jockeying inside the Kremlin has never been more intense during his rule, everyone sensing that the end is near."
While a senior Air Force leader added: "Is Putin sick? Absolutely. But we shouldn't let waiting for his death drive proactive actions on our part. A power vacuum after Putin could be very dangerous for the world."
The Kremlin has not commented on the alleged cancer surgery but insists Putin is in good health.
Images of him sat with a blanket over his knees during the Victory Day parade earlier this month were far from the invincible hard man persona he likes to portray.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article27338440.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Kyiv-TV-tower-explodes-after-blasts-heard-in-Ukraine-capital-after-Russian-attack.jpg)
Meanwhile, Putin’s failure to attend key engagements and his disappearance during a state TV broadcast has further added fuel to the fire.
MI6 sources have claimed Putin may already be dead amid speculation about the Russian leader's health.
The Daily Star reports that a body double may have been used for recent appearances, as Kremlin cronies would be keen to cover up his death in an attempt to cling on to power.
There have been rumours that the warmonger's health has been deteriorating in recent months, with his face appearing bloated and observer's questioning whether the 69-year-old might have blood cancer.
Senior MI6 bosses say the Russian president has been seriously ill recently, but that his death would likely be covered up.