That Putin would leave office is big news. The Russian president has few real rivals in the country's political system, which he has effectively led since 2000. However, if you want to read it now on MK's website, you are out of luck. The article has been removed, though the tweet that announced it still remains.

You can, thankfully, still find the article on some Internet archives.

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In the interview, Solovei suggested that Putin will have “some problems” next year that will force him out of the limelight for a few months. He also suggests that the Kremlin will call early elections to replace him before this, in part because under Putin, it will be difficult to work to get better relations with the United States. Former president Dmitry Medvedev will replace him: “Deja vu,” Solovei observes.

The political scientist also indicates that the Kremlin isn't quite sure what to make of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. “No one today knows what to expect from Trump,” Solovei said.

It's important to note that Solovei doesn't say this authoritively. He concedes at a number of points that he is not sure of the accuracy of his information. He also refuses to give more details, demuring when asked specifically if Putin has a health problem. Later in the interview, he speculates more broadly about the future of Russia, suggesting that the Russian opposition, embattled for years, will gain more support in the next few years.

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Whether it is pure speculation or not, the removal of the story has prompted many to wonder whether there really was a bombshell contained in the interview. According to the U.S.-funded RFE/RL, Solovei may have immediately left Moscow after the interview to head to an unknown location, though he still appears to be posting on social media. The Moscow Times reports that MK editor Pavel Gusov has said that the article was simply removed because there were factual errors in it and that it will be republished in a few days.