NEW DELHI: Sensitive information do not easily percolate through Russia’s “iron-curtain,” more so when the world’s attention is focused on the country.
Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine has put the spotlight on Moscow and its all-powerful leader Vladimir Putin.
All eyes are on Putin. His words, his actions, his war strategy are all under intense global scrutiny as Ukranian resistance stretches much beyond his and Russia’s liking.
The rumour mills are abuzz.
The world media – from broadsheets to tabliods to social media – are awash with speculations about Vladimir Putin’s health, his likely absence from office and a short-term successor.
Some even suggest that it’s not the Russian President who is making all the public appearances, but a doppleganger!
Even as the lines between facts and fiction remain blurred, we look at some of the reports about the Russian leader’s health.
TOI cannot independently verify the authenticity of any of these reports.
‘Putin has cancer, Parkinson’s’
Putin has reportedly been told by doctors that he must undergo a surgery for cancer, the New York Post reported citing a Telegram channel purportedly run by a former Russian intelligence official, and the procedure might keep him incapacitated for a few days.
Referring to Putin’s supposedly “sickly appearance and uncharacteristically fidgety behaviour in public” in recent times, the report said that the Russian President has been rumoured to suffer from cancer and a host of other serious maladies, including Parkinson’s disease.
“Judging from how he moves – that Putin can be suffering from the initial stages of either Parkinson’s, or another serious disorder caused by some form of cancer, brain tumour,” a former Russian spy said, according to a British tabloid.
‘Putin has dementia, being driven by paranoia’
Vladimir Putin is likely suffering from early stage dementia while he is being driven insane by paranoia and fear over traitors, mirror.co.uk wrote, quoting an unnamed former KGB agent.
“He sees literally everyone, including those inside the Russian security services and even inside his close inner circle, to be ‘traitors’,” the Mirror quoted him as saying.
It was thought that these health conditions may have been caused by sporting injuries during Putin’s younger years, as well as issues caused by ageing – such as dementia, the former spy said.
‘Trusted ally Patrushev to fill in for Putin’
So who is to take charge if Putin is indeed forced to rest?
A few days ago, Putin reportedly had a two-hour “heart-to-heart” conversation with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the country’s Security Council, the New York Post said, citing a Telegram post.
Patrushev is seen as among the few close confidantes of the Russian President.
“Putin is unlikely to agree to hand over power for a longer period of time,” the Telegram channel further claimed, adding that the control of the country will likely be in Patrushev’s hands for no more than two to three days.
Like Putin, Patrushev is a career Russian intelligence agent, first with the Soviet KGB, then later with the Russian FSB, the report said citing Moscow Times.
‘Putin fears assassination, using body double’
British tabloid Daily Star said that the Russian president fears military chiefs could stage a coup after he fired eight senior generals for their failure to capture Ukraine.
A doppleganger has stood in for Putin at Kremlin meetings and is used as a decoy when the real Putin moves around. He lives in the Presidential complex and has been trained to walk like the Russian leader, the report further said.
“I would not be at all surprised if we hear in the next few months that Putin has died and the reason given will be a heart attack or a long-term illness. I doubt they will admit it was an internal coup,” the Daily Star quoted an unnamed intelligence source as saying.
‘Putin underwent cosmetic surgery’
An Australian site news.com.au has quoted a Sydney cosmetic doctor as saying that Vladimir Putin has undergone procedures like cheek fillers, chin and eye lifts.
Posting two images of Putin side by side- an old, and the other more recent- the doctor wrote the caption “When you Putin too much filler and look like an elderly Cushingoid cat.”
Leading UK cosmetic surgeon Gerard Lambe said cheek fillers probably played a large part in Mr Putin’s changed appearance.
Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine has put the spotlight on Moscow and its all-powerful leader Vladimir Putin.
All eyes are on Putin. His words, his actions, his war strategy are all under intense global scrutiny as Ukranian resistance stretches much beyond his and Russia’s liking.
The rumour mills are abuzz.
The world media – from broadsheets to tabliods to social media – are awash with speculations about Vladimir Putin’s health, his likely absence from office and a short-term successor.
Some even suggest that it’s not the Russian President who is making all the public appearances, but a doppleganger!
Even as the lines between facts and fiction remain blurred, we look at some of the reports about the Russian leader’s health.
TOI cannot independently verify the authenticity of any of these reports.
‘Putin has cancer, Parkinson’s’
Putin has reportedly been told by doctors that he must undergo a surgery for cancer, the New York Post reported citing a Telegram channel purportedly run by a former Russian intelligence official, and the procedure might keep him incapacitated for a few days.
Referring to Putin’s supposedly “sickly appearance and uncharacteristically fidgety behaviour in public” in recent times, the report said that the Russian President has been rumoured to suffer from cancer and a host of other serious maladies, including Parkinson’s disease.
“Judging from how he moves – that Putin can be suffering from the initial stages of either Parkinson’s, or another serious disorder caused by some form of cancer, brain tumour,” a former Russian spy said, according to a British tabloid.
‘Putin has dementia, being driven by paranoia’
Vladimir Putin is likely suffering from early stage dementia while he is being driven insane by paranoia and fear over traitors, mirror.co.uk wrote, quoting an unnamed former KGB agent.
“He sees literally everyone, including those inside the Russian security services and even inside his close inner circle, to be ‘traitors’,” the Mirror quoted him as saying.
It was thought that these health conditions may have been caused by sporting injuries during Putin’s younger years, as well as issues caused by ageing – such as dementia, the former spy said.
‘Trusted ally Patrushev to fill in for Putin’
So who is to take charge if Putin is indeed forced to rest?
A few days ago, Putin reportedly had a two-hour “heart-to-heart” conversation with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the country’s Security Council, the New York Post said, citing a Telegram post.
Patrushev is seen as among the few close confidantes of the Russian President.
“Putin is unlikely to agree to hand over power for a longer period of time,” the Telegram channel further claimed, adding that the control of the country will likely be in Patrushev’s hands for no more than two to three days.
Like Putin, Patrushev is a career Russian intelligence agent, first with the Soviet KGB, then later with the Russian FSB, the report said citing Moscow Times.
‘Putin fears assassination, using body double’
British tabloid Daily Star said that the Russian president fears military chiefs could stage a coup after he fired eight senior generals for their failure to capture Ukraine.
A doppleganger has stood in for Putin at Kremlin meetings and is used as a decoy when the real Putin moves around. He lives in the Presidential complex and has been trained to walk like the Russian leader, the report further said.
“I would not be at all surprised if we hear in the next few months that Putin has died and the reason given will be a heart attack or a long-term illness. I doubt they will admit it was an internal coup,” the Daily Star quoted an unnamed intelligence source as saying.
‘Putin underwent cosmetic surgery’
An Australian site news.com.au has quoted a Sydney cosmetic doctor as saying that Vladimir Putin has undergone procedures like cheek fillers, chin and eye lifts.
Posting two images of Putin side by side- an old, and the other more recent- the doctor wrote the caption “When you Putin too much filler and look like an elderly Cushingoid cat.”
Leading UK cosmetic surgeon Gerard Lambe said cheek fillers probably played a large part in Mr Putin’s changed appearance.