For years, the health of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a topic of intense speculation and unverified rumours, with claims suggesting he suffers from various serious ailments. A recent video showing the 73-year-old leader experiencing a coughing fit during a presidential address has reignited public and media attention on his physical condition. In the footage, Putin can be seen clearing his throat and gesturing towards his neck before the coughing episode, which prompted the Kremlin to swiftly delete the video from its official Telegram channel shortly after upload.
Public Appearances Fuel Concerns
Speculation about Putin's health has been amplified by several public appearances where he appeared frail and tense. In a recorded meeting with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2022, Putin was observed tightly clutching a table throughout the entire 12-minute clip, never releasing his grip. Further questions arose when he seemed to shake uncontrollably during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that same year, displaying hand and leg tremors while occasionally clutching his fist to his body.
Claims of Parkinson's Disease
In 2024, Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, stated that Putin has something fundamentally wrong with him medically, suggesting his health is deteriorating. While not a clinician, Sir Richard indicated that Parkinson's disease could be a possibility, noting that paranoia—a symptom he linked to the murder of Alexei Navalny—might support this diagnosis. The Kremlin has consistently dismissed such claims as baseless gossip.
Allegations of Cancer
A former FSB officer claimed in 2022 that Putin had no more than two to three years to live due to a severe form of rapidly progressing cancer, though this speculated timeline has since passed. The officer alleged that Putin suffers from headaches, requires large-print notes for television appearances due to worsening eyesight, and travels with cancer specialists. Similar assertions were made by a former oligarch in a recording obtained by US magazine New Lines, suggesting Putin underwent surgery just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mini-Stroke Theories
Putin's former speechwriter, Abbas Gallyamov, told the Daily Express in 2025 that the president definitely has some health problems, potentially even having experienced a mini-stroke. Gallyamov, who was branded a foreign agent by the Kremlin and placed on a most wanted list in 2023, argued that symptoms observed in 2022 resembled the aftermath of a mini-stroke rather than cancer.
Kremlin's Consistent Dismissals
The Kremlin has always been quick to reject any claims about Putin's health. In 2015, Putin himself dismissed speculation as gossip after a 10-day absence from public view. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly labelled such reports as absolute nonsense, asserting that everything is fine with the president and that he has no plans to step down. Despite these denials, Putin has often been portrayed in propaganda photos engaging in physical activities like judo, hunting, and horse riding to project an image of durability and fitness to the Russian people.
Overall, while rumours about Vladimir Putin's health continue to circulate, driven by videos and insider claims, none have been confirmed, and the Kremlin maintains a firm stance of dismissal, keeping the truth shrouded in uncertainty.
