Vladimir Putin’s relatives are growing concerned about the leader’s ailing health and have spoken of his coughing fits, nausea and lack of appetite, it is claimed.
The Russian leader’s inner circle is reportedly worried that his ‘thinness and persistent cough’ is starting to become noticeable, and will be seen by elites in Russia as a ‘sign of the leader’s rapidly deteriorating health.’
The report comes from Russian Telegram channel General SVR, which claims to have insider knowledge of Kremlin activity and has long maintained that Mr Putin is secretly battling cancer.
According to the channel, the Russian leader has lost 18lbs in recent months.
The news follows rumours circulating last week that Putin may have secretly employed a body-double to go and greet soldiers at a military training camp.
Russian state television showed him joining in military exercises, including shooting a newly developed sniper rifle and warmly greeting new recruits.
It was claimed a doppleganger had been outsourced on account of his uncharacteristically friendly approach towards the troops.
The Telegram channel – which cited no proof for its claims – reported: ‘Both Putin himself and his relatives, as well as doctors, are worried about the president’s coughing fits, as well as constant nausea and lack of appetite due to medication and a specific diet [for] oncology.
‘In the past few months, Putin has lost eight kilograms, and those around the president are worried that the thinness and persistent cough that is noticeable in progress will be regarded by the elites as a sign of the leader’s rapidly deteriorating health.’
It further claimed that Putin was bad tempered over the war, in particular berating and then cutting off defence minister Sergei Shoigu at an online meeting.
Putin resorted to screams and profanities, it was alleged.
‘After Shoigu was disconnected from participating in the video conference, Putin started talking to other representatives of the leadership of the military bloc, but could not continue due to an attack of severe coughing, so much so that the meeting had to be stopped, and the president needed medical help,’ claimed the channel.
Earlier at the meeting Putin was told that the loss of the Su-30 plane – in which two test pilots were killed – was unlikely to have been sabotage.
The channel does not specify which of Putin’s relatives are supposedly worried about his condition.
General SVR channel has long claimed that Putin is suffering from abdominal cancer, Parkinson’s disease and a schizoaffective disorder.
Its claims cannot be verified but it was among the first to report in advance the shape of Putin’s recent mobilisation strategy.
It is reportedly authored by an exiled Kremlin lieutenant-general, known by the alias Viktor Mikhailovich.
The channel has claimed that the Kremlin is seeking to ban it but has so far failed.
Photo Credit: Getty
