Putin plans to escape to Venezuela if Russia loses Ukraine war, says source

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to escape to Venezuela if Russia loses the war in Ukraine, a former speechwriter for the head of state said on Wednesday. 

Abbas Gallyamov, a trusted source within the Kremlin told him that Putin’s aides have been developing a backup plan in case Russia is defeated in the war, Newsweek reported. 

Part of the contingency plan involves Putin and other top Russian leaders fleeing to Venezuela to escape any kind of persecution. 

"I usually don't retell insider stories, but today I will make an exception. Firstly, I trust the source too much, and secondly, the information is very juicy," Gallyamov wrote on his Telegram.

The plan, which has been unofficially named “Noah’s Ark,” has Venezuela and Argentina as the top options for Putin to flee to. However, China was also considered as an alternative during the early planning stages. 

"As the name [Noah's Ark] implies, it is about finding new lands where you can go in case it becomes completely uncomfortable in your homeland," wrote Gallyamov. "The leader's entourage does not exclude that he will lose the war, lose power and he will have to urgently evacuate somewhere."

Gallyamov, who has been living in exile since 2018, said that Russia’s vice president and chief of staff of Russian energy company Rosneft, Yuri Kurilin, was making all of the arrangements for Putin’s escape plan. 

"In the summer, he formally resigned from [Rosneft] and now devoted himself entirely to the 'Noah's Ark,'" Gallyamov wrote. "He has American citizenship and good connections. He graduated from Hayward University in California [and] worked in BP structures, including in the high position of director of corporate affairs."