Vladimir Putin talks to mothers who lost their sons in the war in Ukraine (ruhyrx)
Concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin's health have resurfaced after he was recorded wheezing and coughing non-stop in a dramatic meeting.
Rumors that he is seriously ill have been circulating for months and they resurfaced during a meeting he had with what was officially defined as "mothers of soldiers killed in the war with Ukraine" (and you'll immediately understand why that's in quotes).
Putin was sitting in front of a table laden with fresh berries and cakes with the 'grieving families', but he seemed to be having trouble staying there and was in an uncomfortable position.
Reuters reported that the participants in the meeting were carefully selected, and they were invited to his official residence to hear how sorry he is for the loss of the soldiers he sent to fight in Ukraine.
He told them: "I would like you to know this, that I personally and the entire leadership of the country - we share your pain. We understand that nothing can replace a lost son - especially for a mother... We share this pain."
But are these really mothers of dead soldiers - or actresses?
twitter twitter
That meeting came after Putin faced criticism from upset parents who claimed he was using their children as cannon fodder and has since avoided meeting them.
In light of this, it was seriously doubted whether the women he spoke with really had children who had been killed or wounded in the war.
Some of them were identified as actresses or loyal to Putin by Russian journalists.
Tweeter Siuma Boberman, who extensively covers the war in Ukraine and writes about global geopolitics, drew attention to the fact that there were those who analyzed the video of Putin meeting with mothers of Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine - and found, for example, that some of the women were identified as familiar actresses from past videos, and they were actually acting in a staged film intended to influence internal public opinion.
One of the participants in the meeting was identified as a mother who lost her soldier son in 2019.
The phenomenon of Russian propaganda forgeries is not new.
There is a variety of evidence for the use of the same players over and over again.
And what about the purple hands?
On Tuesday last week, Putin looked particularly ill during a meeting with Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, clutching a chair he was sitting unsteadily on and his hands looking a strange color of purple.
The Russian president was photographed shuffling and looking shaky and unsteady during the meeting.
His left hand was seen wrapped tightly around the arm of his chair, while his right hand was aimlessly fiddling with something on his lap.
Purple spots were visible on both hands and his face looked particularly swollen in the clip.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Moscow (Photo: Reuters, Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin)
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Moscow (Photo: Reuters, Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin)
The hand of Russian President Vladimir Putin when he meets Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Moscow (Photo: Reuters, Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin)
Earlier this month it was reported that, according to leaked spy documents, the 70-year-old Russian leader suffers from early-stage Parkinson's disease and pancreatic cancer.
It is also claimed there that Putin has "lost his sanity" and is taking a secret cocktail of psychotropic drugs.
This disclosure comes as rumors surrounding his health continue to circulate and intelligence sources in Western countries hint that the Russian president is fighting for his life.
In the past it was reported that Putin is regularly accompanied by a medical team that monitors his condition and treats him if necessary.
Kremlin officials have always denied claims that anything was wrong with his health.
But that hasn't stopped Western officials from analyzing his condition, with former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlieb even saying that he believes Putin will eventually be hospitalized and disappear from the world stage by 2023.
Rumors that Putin is suffering from cancer have resurfaced recently after that he was documented with marks on the back of his hand - which were similar to those caused by infusion therapy.
news
not to be missed
Tags
Vladimir Putin
Ukraine
