Vyacheslav Markhayev has hit out at the way young Russian men are still being sent to their deaths by Vladimir Putin’s ‘obsession’ with the on-going war in Ukraine
Vladmir Putin must end the disastrous war in Ukraine now with Russia on the “brink of a social explosion”, an opposition MP has warned.
Vladimir Putin and his ruling regime must “come to their senses” before the country is plunged into “total chaos”, Vyacheslav Markhayev demanded. The criticism of the Russian President comes as Ukraine gains the upper hand in the war inflicting massive human losses and chronic fuel shortages on Russia.
In a humiliating blow, Putin could soon lose his land access to invaded Crimea as Ukraine turns highways into roads of death with constant drone strikes. Markhayev, 71, a former police general, slammed the way young Russian men are being thrown to their deaths by Putin’s obsession with the war.
“We need a clear, public plan to end the special military operation, based on Russia’s national interests,” he said. “The time for illusions has passed.
“The country is on the brink of a social explosion, and full responsibility for this will lie with the irremovable authorities.”
He spoke out as the death in the war was announced of the first Russian soldier born in 2008, Alisher Svirin, 18, from Moscow region, who was only 14 when the conflict began.
In a biting attack, the MP accused the Russian despot of damaging the country in the same way as a foreign invader. “What would an external enemy do if it captured Russia? It would seize resources, loot industry, drive up tariffs and build mansions for itself.
“But no invasion took place — the authorities managed to do all this themselves, more effectively than any aggressor.” Under Putin there are “no real achievements apart from the personal enrichment of the elites.”
Meanwhile, pensioners are forced to spend 55% of their meagre £52 a week allowances on utility bills, said the Communist MP. It was time for “real action” to help ordinary people instead of splashing out state cash on “yachts, palaces and foreign assets” for the Putin era superrich.
Despite the war, “the number of Russian billionaires has reached a record 155, with their combined wealth amounting to almost $700 billion — one and a half times the federal budget,” he said.
“Multi-billion-rouble thefts, arrests of officials at all levels, the seizure of assets worth a trillion roubles a year — this is the real picture.” Markhayev was one of the few Russian MPs to vote against dismembering invaded regions of Ukraine in 2022.
“I am forced to state that corruption scandals are being combined with continuing losses among the most active and reproductive part of the population because of ineffective leadership,” he said of Putin’s record.
“Attacks on our cities are not stopping, their geography is expanding, the West is increasing supplies of drones, and we are being forced to endure it.
“The Presidential Administration is already saying that the goals of denazifying and demilitarising Ukraine have effectively been reduced merely to new [invaded] territories, rather than the whole country. If this situation continues, a social explosion and total chaos will become more likely.
“The West will inevitably take advantage of this to finish off what remains of Russian statehood.”
Putin’s team had been in power for a quarter of a century and “appears to have largely lost touch with people’s needs.
“Modern Russia has existed for half as long as the Soviet Union did, yet only oligarchs and their entourage — less than 5% of the population — can boast of development.”
He demanded: “I call on the ruling authorities to come to their senses.” New overnight strikes by Ukraine hit a Russian port and energy facilities in occupied Crimea.
