New images of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Caspian Environmental Summit in Turkmenbashi over the weekend show his face drooping and his thinning grey hair falling out, intensifying speculation about his health or the use of a body double.
For around three years, rumours have circulated that the aging Russian leader died at his Valdai Palace and that his body is being kept in a freezer. The initial news broke in late October 2023, alleging that the then-71-year-old succumbed to a myriad of health issues following a fatal heart attack. The source of these claims, a Telegram channel called General SVR believed to be led by a Kremlin insider, reported that a "coup" was underway to replace him.
Kremlin denial and continued claims
The Kremlin was forced to deny the rumours within 48 hours, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling state media RIA Novosti that the report was an "absurd information canard." The Telegram channel has stubbornly continued to make these claims three years later.
In the new images, the edges of Putin's normally frowning face look more droopy than normal, with the corners of his mouth stretching to the edges of his face. His hair looks remarkably more thin and grey than in pictures taken the week prior, with his ever-receding hairline looking more obvious than ever.
Body double and small man syndrome
There had been reports that the body double being rolled out instead of Putin had undergone significant facial reconstruction in recent years, with talk of it seemingly failing on a regular basis.
Putin is also known to have "small man syndrome." Back in February 2023, when Russia first invaded Ukraine, Conservative MP Julian Lewis claimed during a question in the House of Commons that Putin was "firmly in the grip of small man syndrome." He also said that Putin had a "Napoleon complex," which could be the reason why he ordered his troops to take to the streets of Ukraine.
Former Chancellor's account
Former Labour leader Gordon Brown, who served as the UK's Chancellor from 1997 to 2007 under then-PM Tony Blair, shed light on the realities of this rumour. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph's Celia Walden, he recalled a meeting between the pair in 2006.
He said: "I first met Putin in 2006 at the Kremlin, when I was still Chancellor. And I was put in a very low seat so that I was looking up at him. He’s certainly a relatively small man, and he wears these stacked heels.
"Anyway, that day he took out these index cards, and proceeded to read out all this information he had about me, as though he wanted to prove that he knew more about me than I knew about myself. So when people say that Putin’s changed and is only now threatening, I can tell you that he was threatening me even then."
His small man syndrome was on full show during the meeting in Turkmenbashi, during a leaders' line-up photo, where Putin looks smaller than every single one, despite clearly wearing some form of high heels on his shoes.
