Original published by nashidni.org; translated by J.Hawk
Non-governmental media are confident that Putin has designated his successor, and announced the beginning of a grandiose special operation whose results will become evident in 2018.
State media dry announcements concerning the nomination of Aleksey Dyumin to the post of the Tula Region are interspersed with conspiracy theory-laden interpretations by the “free media” suggesting that the process of advancing Putin’s successor to the post of president has begun. Even though the next presidential election is still more than two years away, the law permits the current president to serve one more term, and so far there are no indications Putin would not run again, the theme of Putin’s successor is already the subject of guessing games in both Russia and the rest of the world
Why did the nomination of an ordinary governor cause such widespread reaction, especially among the so-called opposition? It can be explained by one thing only: Aleksey Dyumin is one of the most trusted individuals in the president’s entourage, someone whom Putin trusted with his own life more than once. Dyumin, moreover, has a range of out of the ordinary abilities which he acquired and honed during his career in the Federal Protection Service and the Ministry of Defense. It is he who commanded the Crimea operation, who saved Yanukovych, he enjoys the highest degree of respect within the armed forces, and moreover he is young and full of vigor. His meteoric career is nothing short of exceptional. There was only one “but” which spoils the otherwise ideal picture, the absence of serious civilian experience. Though one should note that Russian generals, as a rule, found themselves just fine in civilian professions, they usually turn out to be good managers and the most outstanding governors.
According to the well-known Russian journalist Sergey Dorenko, Dyumin’s nomination to the Tula governorship will help him acquire the necessary experience.
The major general who commanded Russian special operations forces is also a well known figure in the West, which definitely wouldn’t want to have to deal with a Russian president who is also the general who carried out the brilliant Crimea operation. They couldn’t cope with a KGB lieutenant colonel, and now there is a general on the horizon.
Naturally, so far these are only guesses plus a simple juxtaposition of facts. There are no official comments on this topic and there cannot be, but the flywheel of Western propaganda is acquiring momentum and the topic of Russia’s 2018 presidential elections is starting to make headlines.
