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Opponents of the war are not the only ones causing problems for Vladimir Putin. There are also those who think that the offensive in Ukraine should be tougher. It is the extremists, who with their high-class activism often cause more headaches than the weak pacifists, who are easy to silence. So, after the tragic death of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the funeral of Dmitry Utkin, the right-hand man of Wagner's leader, the Russian president finds himself facing Igor Girkin, known as "Strelkov" (The Shooter), who has announced that he will run for the presidency of the Federation to succeed Putin himself next March.
"Shooter"
Girkin, 52, a former colonel in Russia's domestic intelligence services (FSB), led pro-Russian secessionist forces in Ukraine's self-proclaimed Donetsk republic in 2014. Kiev authorities accuse him of serious violations of human rights and he was also sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia for the downing of a Malaysian airliner with 298 people on board in 2014 in Donbass. He is currently in prison, on the charge of "inciting extremism" because he pointed out not very kindly the inefficiency of the military commands and of the Kremlin itself, which according to him should have crushed the Ukrainian army long ago. Girkin is not the first high-profile inmate in the Russian penal system to have visible Internet access. Anti-corruption activist and lawyer Alexei Navalny has also been able to criticize Putin despite being imprisoned. Girkin promises to be meaner and more ruthless than his opponent, unable to show himself, in relation to the military leaders, who, despite the "incompetence" shown by the armed forces, intelligence and the military-industrial complex, "remained in their place", without being fired. Putin is even accused by Gurkin of being "too kind" and inclined to be "seduced" by Western promises for a peaceful solution to the Donbass issue, such as by Obama, Trump, Macron, Merkel, Poroshenko or Zelensky. unable to show himself, regarding the military leaders, who, despite the "incompetence" shown by the armed forces, the intelligence and the military-industrial complex, "remained in their place", without being fired. Putin is even accused by Gurkin of being "too kind" and inclined to be "seduced" by Western promises for a peaceful solution to the Donbass issue, such as by Obama, Trump, Macron, Merkel, Poroshenko or Zelensky. unable to show himself, regarding the military leaders, who, despite the "incompetence" shown by the armed forces, the intelligence and the military-industrial complex, "remained in their place", without being fired. Putin is even accused by Gurkin of being "too kind" and inclined to be "seduced" by Western promises for a peaceful solution to the Donbass issue, such as by Obama, Trump, Macron, Merkel, Poroshenko or Zelensky.
"I never believed a word they said," says Girkin.
"The new Prigozhin"
Girkin seems to be the new Prigozhin now. Although the two did not like each other at all, in fact after Prigozhin's spectacular but harmless rebellion of June 24, Girkin had said that the "chef" would do a better job than Putin of guaranteeing the security of Russia, for he is stern and pure, a man more of action than of thought. During the winter, he clashed with the now-deceased head of the Wagner Group's Private Military Company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, criticizing his "attention-seeking", using dead Russian soldiers as "props" and publicly complaining about shortages of ammunition. Prigozhin offered Girkin the opportunity to sign a contract with PMC Wagner, first as an entry-level mercenary and later as the equivalent of a field officer. In the end,
Presidential elections
The Kremlin has not issued a statement regarding Girkin's possible candidacy or the legalities of his potential run for president. He also promised not to stay in power as long as Putin, who was first elected president in 2000, if elected. "I'm not as athletic and healthy as Vladimir Putin was, so I won't be able to bother you, dear voters, just physically for more than 20 years," Girkin wrote. His irony came after the latest move by the Russian president, who is trying hard not to look too old to the Russian voting public. One of the criteria set before the elections is that potential opponents must be over 50 years old. One of the main characteristics Russians dislike about Putin, according to a May poll this year,
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