Rumors have been circulating for years that Vladimir Putin is suffering from health problems, and have intensified since his brutal invasion of Ukraine.
Critics and Kremlin sources have suggested he may have Parkinson’s disease, supported by footage showing the leader shaking uncontrollably and clutching a table for support.
He has also disappeared from public view for weeks with suggestions he is undergoing surgery.
Valery Solovey, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Affairs, was the first to hint at Putin’s health problems, saying in 2020 Putin had undergone surgery for cancer.
Another unnamed source suggested that the operation was on Putin’s abdomen.
He said: “One is psychoneurological in nature, the other is a cancer issue.
“If anyone is interested in the exact diagnosis, I am not a doctor and I have no ethical right to disclose these issues.
“The second diagnosis is much, much more dangerous than the first diagnosis because Parkinson’s does not threaten the physical condition, it only limits public appearances.
“On the basis of this information you will be able to draw conclusions about your life horizon that would not even require specialist training.”
The Kremlin has always denied anything wrong with Putin’s health.
Others have noticed his “gunslinger gait” – a significantly reduced swing of his right arm compared to his left, giving him a buoyant pride.
Asymmetrically reduced arm swing is a classic feature of Parkinson’s and can manifest in “clinically intact individuals predisposed to later development” of the disease, according to the British Medical Journal.
In February, Putin was seen with a shaking hand as he clutched the side of his chair for support.
The clip, taken on February 18, just before he began his invasion of Ukraine, shows him greeting fellow strongman Alexander Lukashenko in the Kremlin.
He draws his trembling hand inside his body to stop the tremors, but then almost stumbles as he walks uncertainly towards Lukashenko.
Later, Putin sits in a chair but cannot remain still, constantly fidgeting and tapping his feet while clutching his arm for support.
At a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Putin’s poor posture and apparently bloated face and neck fueled speculation.
The video showed Putin speaking to Shoigu while gripping the edge of the table with his right hand — so tightly it appears white — and constantly tapping his foot.
He has since been seen limping and shaking his hands and legs, further adding to the rumours.
