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Ilya Ponomarev: Putin has started a civil war
The former Russian MP Ilya Ponomarev says President Vladimir Putin has started "an imperialist war" in Ukraine that could rip Russia apart and lead to his own downfall.
The long-standing critic of Mr Putin has been living in Ukraine for several years after being exiled from Russia. He has now joined the battle against the president.
Speaking to Hardtalk's Gabriel Gatehouse, Mr Ponomarev said he doubts Mr Putin "will be alive next year".
He said the president could be taken down by an uprising of Russian people, an internal Kremlin coup, a Ukrainian military victory or even an intervention by the US.
To all intents and purposes, Russia under Mr Putin now resembled Hitler's Germany, Mr Ponomarev said.
