Why Putin's death threatens Russia with civil war – expert

Security expert William Alberque stated that the sudden death of Putin could trigger a civil war in Russia due to a power struggle among elites and security forces.

Senior fellow at the Pacific Forum William Alberque warned in an interview with 24 Channel that the sudden death of Vladimir Putin could plunge Russia into chaos and provoke a civil war. According to him, the Russian political system is overly dependent on one person, and in the event of his departure, no one can name a successor. Various political groups, oligarchs, and security forces will begin a power struggle, and certain individuals may attempt to gain control over the nuclear arsenal. Alberque called moving hostilities to Russian territory an effective strategy that undermines regime support. He noted that the main pillars of the regime are the middle class, security forces, and wealthy residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, and a decline in their quality of life could be painful for the authorities. As an example of instability, the expert recalled Prigozhin's march on Moscow in 2023.