Vladimir Putin has been 'neutralised' by ...

Former FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev was behind the plot, claimed chairman of the pro-Kremlin national Islamic Committee, Geydar Dzhemal.

There have been no confirmed sightings of Putin for nine days, while in the febrile atmosphere engulfing Moscow a convoy of large trucks parked outside the Kremlin fueled rumours of a flit by the president.

In fact, the lorries close to St Basil's Cathedral were more likely connected to a nationalist celebration of the first anniversary of the return of Crimea to Russia - seen by Putin's supporters as his ultimate masterstroke.

Despite this, bloggers likened it to Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych's treasure-grab as he fled into exile just over a year ago in Kiev.

'I think that Putin is neutralised at the moment, but of course, he is alive,' said Dzhemal, seen as a Kremlin loyalist.

'He is under the control of the power-wielding agencies, who have, in my opinion, organised a coup d'etat.'

Recent pictures of Putin supposedly working during a nine day absence from public sight was 'playing for time' by the plotters, he claimed.

'My information is that Patrushev met Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in Pyatigorsk on 11 March and tempted him over to his side.' 

He also pointed to a recent visit by Patrushev - head of Putin's security council - the US.

The visit came despite sanctions barring visits by most senior Russian officials.

'I think he was offered something there that he failed to reject,' said Dzhemal on Georgian TV channel Rustavi-2.

Putin failed to reappear again on Saturday - the ninth day without a confirmed sighting - as his Chechen enforcer suggested the Russian strongman is in danger of being overthrown.

Ramzan Kadyrov - a devout Muslim whose security apparatchiks are seen as being behind the brutal murder of Boris Nemtsov - said he would remain devoted to the Kremlin leader 'whether he is in his position or not'.

This came amid a claim that pictures issued by the Kremlin on Friday of Putin meeting Supreme Court head Vyachevslav Lebedev may date from 2011.

The images were rushed out in a bid to show Putin is still at work, and followed the release of other photographs which had been taken on or before 5 March when he was last seen in public.

With feverish speculation in Moscow over Putin's health and whereabouts, and claims of a bitter power struggle in his entourage which could even trigger an attempted coup, the head of Chechnya spoke emotionally of people 'trying to harm the president of Russia - and Russia itself'.

And he claimed that forces were scheming 'to break us apart', referring to him and his guarantor Putin.

As startling has been the lack of shows of support in recent days from other senior Kremlin cardinals during an absence which has no obvious parallel in his 15 years as president or premier.

The voices of prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the Kremlin staff Sergei Ivanov - and Putin's intelligence tsars - have remained silent.

Kadyrov has enjoyed extraordinary power and largesse under Putin as a reward for keeping an iron grip on the rebellious oil-rich Chechen region, scene of two bloody wars since the collapse of the USSR.

As a result he is hated by many senior Putin loyalists.

But Kadyrov's enemies claimed yesterday that the 38 year old bearded regional potentate is in 'panic' because he can no longer contact his mentor.

'He is phoning anyone he can in an attempt to arrange a talk with Putin - but he fails,' alleged a website linked to Islamic hardliners seeking to overthrow Kadyrov.

(dailymail.co.uk)