Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister ‘in the dark’ over bloody plots for Ukraine massacre – World News

Until just before the war, Sergei Lavrov and his foreign ministry labeled claims that there would be a full-scale invasion as Western propaganda, but he was “caught by surprise,” his own daughter said

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Putin has not told the foreign minister that he is invading Ukraine

Vladimir Putin’s veteran foreign minister has been left in the dark about the Kremlin leader’s decision to launch a full-scale war against Ukraine, says the top diplomat’s daughter.

Sergei Lavrov, 72, appears to be the combative front man for Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

But it is said that he was caught off guard – and “shocked” – by Putin’s decision.

Until shortly before the war, Lavrov and his foreign ministry denied claims of a full-scale invasion as Western propaganda.

But investigative journalist and Russia expert Christo Grozev said he had a source close to Lavrov’s daughter who said he knew nothing of Putin’s real agenda.

“A source who pretty much knows – well, I’ll be frank [Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov’s daughter – that’s what I heard from her,” he said.

“That Lavrov himself didn’t believe it until the end.

“He thought it was all war threats.”

He believed that Putin would “only” try to grab the DPR [Donetsk People’s Republic] and LPR[LuganskPeople’sRepublic[LuhanskPeople’sRepublic[VolksrepublikLugansk[LuhanskPeople’sRepublic

“He was shocked when he realized it was going to be a real war.”

Grozev was believed to be referring to US-born Ekaterina Lavrova, 40, the foreign minister’s daughter, rather than his “step-daughter” Polina Kovaleva, 26, when he spoke to Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon on a broadcast.

Lavrova, married to retail magnate Alexander Vinokurov, 39, has been sanctioned by the US.

She graduated from Columbia College in 2005 before studying for a master’s degree at the London School of Economics.

Kovaleva has been sanctioned by the UK over a luxury £4.4million flat in London which she bought aged 21.

She studied at the Imperial College Business School in London.

Her mother is Svetlana Polyakova, who is considered Lavrov’s longtime lover.

Lavrova’s mother Maria, the foreign minister’s wife, was also sanctioned by the West.

The Mirror told how Russian satellite TV was urging wartime Vladimir Putin to point hypersonic missiles at Britain, it told viewers with chilling reluctance earlier this month.

This came as former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev – a close ally of Vladimir Putin – had hinted that in two years Ukraine would be off the world map.

Russian political scientist Vladimir Kornilov, speaking in a leading Russian propaganda program, said the death of British volunteer combatant Jordan Gatley in Ukraine – announced this week – was evidence that the British army was involved in fighting Putin’s forces.

“I read his father’s Facebook post, his father’s grief, understandably. He lost his son,” said Kornilov.

“But he writes there that he served in the British Army until March this year and then – this is very important – decided to continue serving in other regions.

“So he didn’t even consider it an exit. As I understand it, he didn’t go.