Meet Patrushev, who may take charge of Russia, as Putin heads for cancer treatment

Russian president Vladimir Putin’s deteriorating health due to a prolonged thyroid cancer (which Kremlin has always denied) may compel him to temporarily hand over the reins of the country to a trusted deputy, say reports.

About Nikolai Patrushev

Media reports suggest Putin will be gone for a surgery for some time even as the war rages on. Therefore, he has hurriedly appointed Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev, 70, to take charge of the country in his absence.

A KGB counterintelligence officer, Patrushev is considered an important player in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Patrushev seems to have impressed Putin very much because he was chosen to lead the nation although the power should have been passed on to 56-year-old Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. It is widely believed that Mishustin didn’t get the responsibility because he has no known military or secret services connections in the past.

Putin looks at Patrushev as ‘the only truly trusted person and friend in the system of power’. It took a two-hour one on one discussion with Putin for Patrushev to get the coveted job, media outlet claims.

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Both in June 1951, Patrushev has a strong military background. His parents were saved during the Nazi siege, but lost everything in terms of assets and wealth. They later migrated to Saint Petersburg. Patrushev was deeply impacted by Russia’s terrible imperial past during the Soviet era. It is his childhood and past experiences which served as the driving force behind the attack on Ukraine.

How long will Putin be gone?

The doctors treating 69-year-old Putin say the procedure may not be urgent but the fact that the cancer is ‘progressing fast’, would mean the Russian leader will be missing from action for some time, mainly because he is not willing to hand over power to anyone, stated popular Telegram channel General SVR.

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There are also rumours that Putin is suffering from Parkinson’s disease. General SVR channel states that Putin has schizoaffective disorder, a mental health disorder marked by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania.

“I don’t know for exactly how long [Putin will be incapacitated after the surgery]… I think it’ll be for a short time,” said a doctor treating the Russian leader.

One thing is for sure: Putin’s health is a matter of concern for his supporters because he was visited by a thyroid cancer doctor 35 times, new reports claims.