Vladimir Putin has been warned that thousands of Russians are seeking to join the anti-Kremlin resistance as the threat of armed revolt in the country grows. Ilya Ponomarev is a former Russian MP and strident Putin critic, who is currently based in Kyiv. He joined Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Force after the outbreak of war last February and has denounced Putin’s invasion in no uncertain terms.
The former Vice President of Yukos is actively attempting to bring about regime change in his native country.
To that effect, he has helped to create the Congress of People’s Deputies – a transitional parliament consisting of 59 Russian politicians opposed to the Putin regime.
The Congress will hold its second session in Poland between February 20-23, as it develops plans for a Russian future without Putin.
However, Mr Ponomarev admits that regime change in his native land is “impossible” without armed resistance.
He claimed that the anti-Putin opposition is “following the example of the De Gaul movement during World War 2” and creating its own army to help liberate his country from Putin and his elites.
Mr Ponomarev told Express.co.uk: “We are collecting fighters, we are collecting armed people who are preparing for the regime change.
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Many western experts have suggested that any attempt to overthrow of Putin could lead to a new Russian civil war.
The former Russian MP believes that such a bloody scenario can be avoided by co-opting Putin’s elites.
He said: “We need to convince them they need to be on the side of change, that they would benefit from change and that is the best way to avoid a confrontation and a civil war.
“I don’t see much of prerequisites for the civil war. They may want to start it but it is all on us.”
“If we will drive the situation in an oppressive way, and would try to punish everybody and put everybody in jail and confiscate all the wealth, then yeah it may happen but I don’t think we will be in that recourse.”
