Putin embarrassed as he's told change is inevitable as tide turns against the Kremlin

 As Russians cast their votes this week, a prominent Kremlin critic has urged that "real change is not only possible, real change is inevitable" in the dictator-controlled country.

It comes as the general mood toward leader Vladimir Putin is being described as "profound disappointment," while Russia is plunged into further economic turmoil as the war against Ukraine plows on regardless of the dire consequences.

Former political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza, who has survived two poisonings by the Kremlin, spoke to Sky News about Russia's future with a message of hope. It comes after Putin was left humiliated after Zelensky gloated over a huge attack.

"Well, real change is not only possible, but real change is inevitable. The best guide to what we have in the future is history... and the one thing that's very clear from the history of Russia is that failed wars of aggression always lead to significant political change."

It comes after Russia's only anti-war party, Yabloko, was banned from running in September's parliamentary elections back in August. This, Kara-Murza says, shows how desperate the Kremlin is to maintain its power in the face of a growing dissatisfaction with its leader and the war.

"The Kremlin has admitted to the whole world that all its propaganda claims of overwhelming public support in Russia for the world in Ukraine is a fake. They have admitted themselves that if the antiwar party were on the ballot, it would have received millions, tens of millions of votes, and it is only a matter of time before the Kremlin will once again be confronted with this reality," Kara-murza told Sky News.

It's difficult to predict what will happen, the Kremlin critic acknowledges, as change in Russia often happens very quickly and "unexpectedly".

"Putin will go as far as he is allowed to go; he's not going to stop himself. We know this from the 27-year track record of his regime in Russia. The only way Putin will stop is when he is stopped," he concluded.

Kara-Murza narrowly survived two poisonings by Russia's Federal Security Service in 2015 and 2017, nearly dying from both. He now lives in the West, working as an activist and journalist after being freed in a high-profile prisoner swap.

The Kremlin has a well-established history of taking down its strongest opponents, including the poisoning and imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

After campaigning against Putin's government, Navalny was poisoned with Novichok in 2020, which he survived before being imprisoned on his return to Russia, where he died in 2024. After an investigation into his death by European governments, it was found to have been caused by a fatal dose of poison dart frog toxin.

While putting a stop to any whiff of legitimate opposition, Putin remains terrified of a political coup and/or assassination attempt, often hiding away in his bunker. However, according to reports, there is growing dissatisfaction among politicians and businesspeople close to the leader.

"There's definitely been a shift in mood among the elites this year ... there is profound disappointment in Putin," an anonymous well-connected business leader told the Guardian. He added that there is also "a growing sense that some kind of catastrophe is looming."

"No one believes everything will suddenly collapse tomorrow, but there is a growing realization that utterly senseless, self-destructive decisions keep being made. People who once defended Putin no longer do. Any sense of a future has disappeared."

Despite the frustration with the ongoing war and occupation of Ukraine, the Russian leader shows no signs of compromising, demanding that Ukraine submit territory if they want peace. Meanwhile, there are concerns Russia will attack NATO territories, as U.S. intelligence in August claimed that Moscow could launch a "limited incursion" over the next few months to test NATO's resolve. The future remains uncertain, but hope is not lost.