Vladimir Putin, Russia's 70-year-old leader, is reportedly targeting his inner circle of oligarchs and officials in a series of mysterious deaths. With a hit list reaching 39 people and growing, Putin is said to be operating his regime like a paranoid Mafia boss.
US intelligence sources point out that Putin has reasons to be anxious according to Globe magazine's latest article. He had promised a swift victory in Ukraine, but the conflict has dragged on for over a year, with Russian soldiers suffering heavy casualties. The war has also led to a massive trade boycott by Europe and the US, further isolating Russia economically. As a result, Putin's once-loyal supporters are starting to defect, both publicly and privately.
However, those who turn against Putin are paying a high price. At least 39 oligarchs, officials, and scientists have died under suspicious circumstances, with many deaths classified as suicides after victims fell out of windows.
"Putin's now running Russia like it's a Mafia state where he uses murder to erase his enemies and terrify his underlings against going against him," says an intelligence source.
Among the latest victims are banker Sergey Grishin, who died of a supposed sepsis infection after criticizing Putin, and scientist Andrey Botikov, who was allegedly strangled with a belt during an argument in his Moscow apartment. Botikov had helped develop Russia's "Sputnik V" COVID vaccine.
Retired Army Military Intelligence Officer Jon Sweet likens Putin's hitmen to the notorious Murder, Inc. gang led by New York crime lord Albert Anastasia. The gang was responsible for over 1,000 mobster deaths between 1929 and 1941.
Sweet notes a chilling similarity in the demise of Putin's victims: "Anyone seen as a potential threat seems to have an attraction to an open window."