[sudosysgen]

By 1991 a good portion of the CPSU had become ideologically aligned with Yeltsin. KGB officials saw the writing on the wall, and saved his ass.

He knew this very well. If he directly went against the part of the KGB that supported him he would die.

And yes, the KGB subverted the Soviet Union by removing Gorbachev. This is obvious to anyone that has any understanding of history. Removing Gorbachev could not have been anything less.

So yes, I will persist, the only reason why Yeltsin was able to gain power is because a significant faction of the KGB supported him - though not at the very highest level - while the leadership was against Gorbachev. That is to say, thanks to the KGB.