Observers have pointed to indicators of ill health from video footage of Vladimir Putin, but others advise that these rumours may be wishful thinking. The Russian president has been subject to unconfirmed reports of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and even claims that he has been replaced by a body double.
In an interview on Sunday, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was forced to deny speculation that Putin was ill or dying. “President Vladimir Putin appears in public every day,” Lavrov told French television. “You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his performances. I don’t think that sane people can see signs of some kind of illness or poor health.”
Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov last week said he believed that Putin was seriously ill with cancer and had survived a recent coup attempt. “But it’s not worth hoping that Putin will die tomorrow,” he told Ukrainian outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda. The Kremlin has dismissed all such claims as “fabrication and untruth”.
Rumours of Putin’s poor health have persisted for over two decades, partly due to the Kremlin’s tight control over information about his health and whereabouts. Since taking power, Putin has been portrayed as an active sportsman, in contrast to the image of former president Boris Yeltsin. However, Putin has disappeared for weeks at times, with reports of sporting injuries.
