Russia could collapse into warring mini-states as a result of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine could lead to the collapse of Russia
Former CIA analyst Paul Goble thinks that Moscow has been fatally weakened by the despot's antics and claims that Putin is likely to be killed before events that could tear Russia apart.
Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine last year with the expectation of a quick victory but his reputation has been shattered by Russia's failures on the battlefield.
Attention has now turned to what could happen to the country and Putin himself and Goble - a longstanding expert on Russia and the Soviet Union - is convinced that the nation could fracture into nuclear-armed mini-states.
He told The Sun Online: "People are now much more open to the possibility that the Russian Federation might not be able to remain in one piece.
"What we're likely to see is something different than the coming apart of the great empires.
"I think that it's going to be kaleidoscopic. It will be chaotic - what you see one year won't be the same after two years."
Goble predicted that the world is facing "Yugoslavia with nukes" in reference to the former Balkan state's break-up in the 1990s.
He is also convinced that Putin will be killed by figures inside the Kremlin because of the damage to Russia's reputation that the war has caused.
Goble said: "The most likely situation is that Putin is (killed) by people who realise he's destroying the country."