Vladimir Putin could be shipped off to a sanatorium to avoid a coup in the Russian government, the former boss of MI6 has claimed.
The brutal Russian leader is rumoured to be suffering with cancer and Parkinson's disease and theories have circulated that he will soon lose his grip on power.
It comes after shocking photos surfaced recently showing Putin's newly bloated face.
As well as losing his hardman persona, Putin is also believed to be losing some of his long-term followers, The Sun reports.
It has been reported that his once-trusted advisors have lost faith in the paranoid Russian leader after his attack on Ukraine.
Putin is now said to be at his breaking point as his dwindling invasion rages on.
Sir Richard Dearlove, the former boss of MI6, has suggested Putin will soon step back in order to get medical treatment.
He claims the 69-year-old will likely be banished to a medical establishment for people with chronic illnesses by next year.
Talking to the One Decision podcast, Sir Dearlove said: "I think he'll be gone by 2023 - but probably into the sanatorium, from which he will not emerge as the leader of Russia.
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"I'm not saying he won't emerge from the sanatorium, but he won't emerge as the leader of Russia any longer.
"That's a way to sort of move things on without a coup."
An ex-MI6 spy has also claimed the Russian government is in "increasing disarray and chaos" due to Putin's outlandish and erratic behaviour.
He said the leader has to regularly excuse himself from meetings in order to undergo treatment and is "constantly" being followed around by several doctors.
Some insiders have suggested that Putin has just three months left until he is ousted.
