The former head of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service, Mykola Malomuzh, states that removing Russian President Vladimir Putin can only be achieved through the use of nuclear weapons, as assassinating him directly is currently impossible due to the tight security around him.

In an interview with "Obozrevatel," Malomuzh highlighted that assassinating Putin would require the assistance of agents or individuals close to him, posing a significant challenge even for American and European intelligence agencies. He suggested that Putin's inner circle could be motivated to eliminate him in exchange for concessions from the West, but they are currently under the control of Russian special services.

Malomuzh believed that the collapse of the security system, resulting from successful actions by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, may lead those surrounding Putin to prioritize his elimination. He speculated that the West would support this move as a means to prevent nuclear war and engage in negotiations with Western countries.

Malomuzh also expressed a high likelihood of successfully targeting "Wagner" leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, suggesting that Ukrainian special services could carry out his elimination in the near future without triggering confrontations with the West.

Other experts, such as Russian opposition leader Gennady Gudkov, mentioned the possibility of Putin becoming a victim of his subordinates, such as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. However, Ilya Samoilenko, a Mariupol defender and officer of the "Azov" battalion, believed that the assassination of Putin would have little impact on Russia.