VLADIMIR Putin’s grip on power may be slipping as he hides away from assassins, elites and his own people – who appear to have been tipped over the edge by a social media app ban.
Sir William Browder, often referred to as the Russian President’s , told The Sun that the crony is in his “weakest position” since the start of his leadership.
Bill Browder in The Sun’s new YouTube show, “War Files” Credit: The Sun
Browder speaks about the current panic in the Kremlin Credit: The Sun
In “War Files”, The Sun’s new YouTube show, the US-born British financier revealed how Putin’s desperation – and the mass blackouts – could be the final nail in his coffin.
“Right now, Putin is,” Browder said. “He is so scared that someone internally or someone externally will kill him that he is hiding underground in a bunker.
“He is not going to his house in Valdai, or his house on the Black Sea – he is underground.
“That tells you how desperate the situation has gotten for him.”
“War Files” examined how Russians are reacting to the ban of Pavel Durov’s Telegram app Credit: The Sun
The policy has sparked resistance even among pro-Kremlin circles Credit: The Sun
As of April 2026, Russia has implemented a controversial nationwide block on Telegram – aiming to control information flow – and has introduced the state-backed rival, MAX.
The policy has sparked resistance even among pro-Kremlin circles.
During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine , the messaging app has served as a powerful propaganda tool.
For some time, Pavel Durov – the Russian émigré billionaire and founder of Telegram – has been seen as a free speech messiah after vowing to adapt to restrictions and urged people to bypass the ban with VPNs.
Tensions between the tech entrepreneur and Putin have been mounting for more than a decade, ever since he left Russia in 2014, citing pressure from the FSB.
Familiar with Russia‘s war apparatus, Browder is dubious of the dissident status that Durov has earned.
“If Telegram was such a thorn in their sights, why did they allow it to exist and not for example WhatsApp or Instagram ?” the political activist said.
“That is the first question I would ask in relation to the theory that Durov is an enemy of the .”
Special service vehicles are parked near Red Square decorated for Victory Parade Credit: AP
People walk past a decoration at Poklonnaya Hill in western Moscow Credit: AFP
Browder was once the largest foreign investor in Russia until his attorney, Sergei Magnitsky, was killed in 2009 after uncovering a mass corruption scheme, and has since faced persistent threats to his life.
Speaking about whether he has a Telegram account, he said: “It is run by a Russian who is supposed to be an enemy of the regime, who travels back and forth to Russia without any problem.
“Why would I put myself in that kind of danger?”
While suspicious of both Durov and the app, Browder said he understands how the ban and mass blackouts – now seen in and St Petersburg – are affecting Russians.
“We are starting to see people grumble and say, ‘Well, actually, we are making sacrifices. What are they for? What are we gaining from these sacrifices? Why is this in our interest? What is in it for us?’ he explained the mass mentality.
“The Russian population is extremely cynical. People are mad as they cannot communicate with friends or order a taxi because they cannot use the mobile internet.
“Flights are getting cancelled because of the Ukrainian drones swarming Moscow airspace. And who is in charge? Putin.
“This is the first time that Russians are starting to see that it really does affect them, and that Moscovites cannot just go out and party in the nice restaurants and have a good time and just ignore the fact that Ukrainians are being massacred across the border.”
Russia’s largest northern oil refinery erupts in flames after Ukrainian drone attack on Yaroslav, 170 miles northeast of Moscow Credit: East2West
A satellite image shows smoke rising following a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil pumping station in Bashkultaevo, Russia Credit: Reuters
The Sun has previously reported on – an alleged plot to oust the dictator due to mounting pressure from the war in , severe sanctions and economic decline.
Conspirators are said to be high-ranking members of the Russian elite, including security officials and business figures.
Browder insists that Putin has never been concerned about being “voted out”.
Instead, he fears a general uprising or a palace coup coming straight from the elites.
“Russia is run by one guy, Putin,” Browder said. “There is no democracy, there is no council of ministers, there are no institutions, just one guy.
“He is not worried about being voted out because there is no voting that happens in Russia. He is worried about either a general uprising or a palace coup.
“He has to be particularly worried about a palace coup among the elites as they are the palace… So Putin is in a much weaker position now than just about any time I can remember since the beginning of his presidency.”
He added: “Putin is a dictator, and a dictator can lose his position when the general population is not happy.
“ or Boris Nemtsov, but he cannot kill a million people marching on Red Square…
“His big fear has always been that the people of Russia – at some point, for reasons that he won’t be able to predict – will rise up.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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