Russian President Vladimir Putin survived an assassination try two months in the past, simply after he introduced the invasion of Ukraine, the nation's chief spy has claimed.

Ukraine's Chief of Defence Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov claimed Putin, 69, was attacked in an "unsuccessful try" to kill him round two months in the past when he was within the Caucasus—an space comprised of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and components of Southern Russia—solely days into the Ukraine invasion.

"Putin was assassinated..." Budanov advised Ukrainian Pravda. "He was even attacked within the line of, as they are saying, representatives of the Caucasus not so way back. That is private info. Completely unsuccessful try, however it actually occurred...It was about two months in the past."

"As soon as once more, he was unsuccessful. There isn't a publicity about this occasion, however it occurred," Budanov stated.

Vladimir Putin in Argentina
Russia's President Vladimir Putin survived an assassination try two months in the past, Ukraine’s chief spy has claimed. Above, Putin gestures throughout a gathering with France's President Emmanuel Macron (out of body) on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 30, 2018. Ludovic Marin/Getty

The interview with Budanov will probably be broadcast in full on Tuesday.

Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin for remark.

The battle, which has been raging since February 24, has claimed the lives of 1000's of Ukrainians and displaced tens of millions extra.

Some stories have stated that Putin is changing into extra paranoid because the battle attracts on, fearful that somebody could attempt to take away him from workplace. The Russian president has beforehand claimed that he has survived quite a few assassination makes an attempt.

One plot was foiled by Russian intelligence shortly earlier than the 2012 presidential election, resulting in the arrest of a number of males within the Ukrainian port metropolis of Odesa who had allegedly been advised to kill Putin by Islamist Chechen rebels. Russia had beforehand fought two wars in opposition to Chechen forces.

Putin additionally allegedly confronted one other try at his life on the day of the 2008 presidential election. A Tajik man with a sniper was arrested hours earlier than Putin was on account of give a speech in Moscow's Pink Sq..

There has additionally been hypothesis about Putin's well being lately. Sir Richard Dearlove, the previous head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, predicted on Thursday that Putin would seemingly now not be Russia's chief in 2023 on account of well being points.

U.S. movie director Oliver Stone stated on Could 17 that Putin struggled with and overcame most cancers throughout the time by which the filmmaker centered his work on the Russian president. Christopher Steele, a former intelligence official in the UK, lately stated that Putin left conferences to obtain medical remedy.

Final month, Visegrád 24 Information posted a video on Twitter speculating that the Russian president may need Parkinson's Illness. One other video confirmed Putin clasping a desk throughout a gathering with Russian Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu, sparking extra hypothesis about Putin's well being.

The Kremlin has not commented on Putin's well being because the starting of the battle.

Replace 05/23/22, 9:45 a.m. ET: This text was up to date with further info and background.