Why is Sergei Shoigu being accused of a Putin putsch plot?

About this episode

The episode discusses the allegations against Sergei Shoigu regarding a potential coup against Vladimir Putin amidst concerns over the annual Victory Day parade.

The annual Victory Day parade in Moscow will be a much smaller affair this year, without an intercontinental ballistic missile in sight. Why? Well, the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack is certainly one reason. But is there any credibility in reports of another threat - this time against Vladimir Putin himself? An anonymous European intelligence agency has claimed the Russian president is spooked over the prospect of a potential coup or even a possible assassination attempt. The alleged plotter is being named as former Putin ally and shunned ex-defence minister Sergei Shoigu. But how credible is this report, and is the president's paranoia justified? Our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett joins Niall to discuss whether Shoigu is really plotting to oust Putin, and what it means if the leader's grip on power is slipping. Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk

People in this episode

Host: Niall

Guest: Ivor Bennett

Topics covered

• Russian politics
• coup attempts
• military parades
• intelligence reports
• Putin's leadership

Keywords

• Sergei Shoigu
• Vladimir Putin
• coup
• Victory Day
• Moscow
• Ukrainian drone attack
• intelligence report

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sky News

Places: Moscow, Ukraine

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