Assassins have attempted to kill Vladimir Putin on several occasions since the beginning of the war, according to the head of Ukraine's military intelligence.

       The Kremlin boss is known to be paranoid about his own security and takes excessive precautions to ensure his safety. Despite this, numerous attempts have been made on his life, although they have so far failed to kill the tyrant.

       Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, told the channel NV: "The attempts (to kill Putin) did happen, but, as you can see, they have also been unsuccessful so far."

       Budanov said the death of Putin would be a massive psychological blow for Russians, who have become dependent on him for their own security.

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       To illustrate the point, he recalled the stories of his grandmother, who lived through the death of Joseph Stalin.

       He said: "She said that people then felt like their whole world had collapsed, it was unclear how to live on.

       "Putin has been in power for over 20 years, so it will be a very similar feeling, and now Russians are afraid of losing him because he is the guarantor of their life stability."

       Putin has also faced assassination attempts before the war in Ukraine, with one attack foiled by British police.

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       The Russian President was invited on a state visit to the UK in 2003 by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair.

       It was the first official visit by a Russian leader to Britain in more than 125 years and lasted four days.

       Anti-terror police arrested two men in connection with an alleged plot to kill the Russian president before his arrival.

       One of them was said to be a former Russian secret service hitman and had planned to shoot Putin with a sniper rifle.