Patrushev served with Putin in the KGB during the 1970s and later continued his intelligence career in the KGB’s successor, the FSB. Aside from being responsible for the spread of conspiracy theories and disinformation, he has also fomented the idea that the invasion of Ukraine is just part of Russia’s self-defense against the West.

According to rumors that have surfaced from the social media site Telegram, Putin temporarily transferred power to Patrushev in May 2022 while the former underwent cancer surgery. One Telegram video states that Patrushev is an even more dangerous and insidious individual than Putin, and that Russia’s problems would only get worse if he takes charge.