Putin survived assassination attempt two months ago, claims Ukraine military official

A top Ukrainian official has claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin managed to survive an assassination attempt two months ago.

The claim has been made by the Chief of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov. He said that the alleged attempt to assassinate Putin was made shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year.

"There was an attempt to assassinate Putin... He was even attacked, it is said, by representatives of the Caucasus, not so long ago," Budanov was quoted as saying by Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda.

"This is non-public information. (It was an) Absolutely unsuccessful attempt, but it really happened... It was about 2 months ago. I repeat, this was unsuccessful. There is no publicity about this event, but it took place," he added.

The Caucasus is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and consists of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and some parts of southern Russia. However, Western officials have dismissed Budanov's claims adding that Putin still holds power over his inner circle.

"My observation is that at the moment President Putin is firmly in control of his inner circle, the country, and the decisions which are being made, irrespective of any speculation about his health," an official told The Business Insider on the condition of anonymity.

The news of the alleged attempt has not been verified independently. The full interview of General Budanov will be released in the coming days and may reveal more details about the said attempt.

He had earlier claimed that a coup to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin is underway and made predictions that the Russia-Ukraine war will be over by the end of this year.

Putin himself had admitted in 2017 that he has survived at least five assassination attempts. The latest reports about an assassination attempt comes in the backdrop of growing speculations around his health.

Recently, a Russian oligarch was secretly recorded saying Russian President Vladimir Putin has blood cancer. The recording was allegedly made without the oligarch's permission while he was having a conversation with a Western venture capitalist.

A senior Royal Navy admiral had also claimed in March this year that Russian President Vladimir Putin hastily decided to attack Ukraine because he is terminally ill. However, all claims about Putin's health are unverified and there has been no official statement from Kremlin either.