In a recent development that has sparked intrigue, a Telegram channel, albeit unverifiable, has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing a severe health crisis. This channel suggests that all of Putin’s recent public appearances have been orchestrated using body doubles.
The British tabloid, Daily Mirror, reported on these allegations over the weekend, asserting that Putin experienced a “cardiac arrest” on a Sunday evening and was subsequently resuscitated in an intensive care ward within his official residence.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, during a routine press briefing, vehemently refuted any notions of body doubles being used by the President, labeling such claims as an “absurd hoax.” Peskov affirmed that President Putin remains in robust health and continues to maintain a demanding schedule of official meetings and televised appearances.
Notably, President Putin, an aficionado of judo who has crafted an enduring image as an “action man,” celebrated his 71st birthday on October 7. He recently completed an extensive agenda, which included a visit to China and stopovers in two Russian cities on his return journey.
Putin’s past interviews have consistently dismissed persistent rumors of employing body doubles, although he acknowledged having been offered the option for security reasons in the past. In April of this year, Peskov reaffirmed the President’s remarkable state of health and categorically dismissed claims of body doubles as “yet another falsehood.”
The Telegram channel responsible for these sensational claims, known as General SVR, has persistently suggested that the Russian President’s health is critically deteriorating and that he encountered a health emergency on the aforementioned Sunday evening.
Citing the Telegram channel’s account, the Daily Mirror reported: “Around 21:05 Moscow time, security personnel at the President’s residence heard unusual noises and sounds of objects falling emanating from the President’s private quarters. Two security officers promptly responded, entering the President’s bedroom to find Putin lying on the floor beside his bed. An upturned table, along with scattered food and beverages, indicated a disturbance, likely caused by the President’s fall. Putin was observed in a convulsive state on the floor, exhibiting distressing signs. Medical professionals, situated in an adjoining area, were urgently summoned.”
