Vladimir Poutine being sick or risking being murdered is wishful thinking, the head of UKthe army said.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin also declared the next Prime Minister should know Russia is the “greatest threat” facing the UK.

Talk to BBC OneOn the Sunday morning show, he said: “I think some of these comments, some of the comments that he’s not doing well or that someone is surely going to murder him or take him out, I think they are wishful thinking.

“For us as military professionals, we see a relatively stable regime in Russia, we see President Putin has been able to crush all opposition, and then we see a hierarchy that is invested in President Putin and therefore no one in top has the power”. motivation to challenge President Putin, and it’s grim.

“That’s why the challenge from Russia is going to last well beyond 2022, 2023 and 2024, it’s going to last a long time… potentially decades in terms of the Russian threat.”

He said Russian ground forces are likely less of a threat in the short term because of this degradation.

However, the admiral cautioned against Russia’s nuclear power, cyber capabilities and space capabilities.

The next prime minister will be briefed on the war in Ukraine and reminded of “the extraordinary responsibility they have towards the UK as a nuclear power”, Admiral Radakin said.

Asked what he will say to the new Prime Minister, he added: “We will always give them a brief overview of the current situation so that they know where we have our armed forces. It’s dominated by Ukraine and our support for them, but we’re also trying to step back and paint a bigger picture of the threat.

“And then we have to remind the Prime Minister of the extraordinary responsibility he has to the UK as a nuclear power, and that’s part of the induction of a new UK Prime Minister and that becomes the focus. .”