Blood or thyroid cancer, Parkinson’s disease, plots and attacks. For weeks, more and more hypotheses have been circulating regarding the health of the Russian president Vladimir Putin, who after initiating the invasion of Ukraine, appeared less and less on official occasions and when he did he often seemed sore or different than usual. The latest report was published by the US newspaper Newsweekciting alleged intelligence reports that Putin underwent cancer treatments in April and allegedly survived an attack in March.
The macho imagery
For years Putin has appeared to the world as a model of machismo. An imagery carefully curated by the Kremlin propaganda to support the idea of a strong leader and his anti-feminist policies and against the LGBTQ + community. Everyone remembers the photo shirtless on horseback or various appearances in hockey matches or judo competitions. However, for some time now this representation is firm and more and more often we read hypotheses of his possible poor health.
Putin is often absent from the public scene, particularly in recent times, motivating his death with sports injuries. On these occasions, according to the Guardian, Moscow regularly used ready-made videos, to make believe that the leader is always present at the meetings. For example, during the worst times of the coronavirus pandemic, the Kremlin claimed that Putin was in Moscow, while in reality intelligence reports indicated he was in Moscow. Sochi and occasionally appeared on television in an office identical to the one he has in the capital.
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The rumors about the state of health
Since the start of the war, several analyzes have focused specifically on body language of Putin, suggesting that he shows signs of pain or stiffness. Additionally, several outlets cited intelligence reports or other evidence to support one possible disease. The Russian independent journalism site Projectfor example, argues that Putin may have a thyroid cancer. According to the site, some leaked travel documents indicate how the leader received regular visits by an oncologist and two otolaryngologists, which would have provided an initial diagnosis of a thyroid problem. The Kremlin has not confirmed any news on Putin’s illness, saying the Russian leader is in excellent health. Dmitri Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin, defined the news “an invention and a falsehood “.
In the last few days, however, Newsweek claimed Putin is “sick, isolated and increasingly paranoid”citing the statements of three US intelligence officials, one from the National intelligence, one from the Air Force and one from the Defense intelligence agency. According to an alleged intelligence report, not confirmed by the US National Security Council, Putin has received some cares for a “late stage cancer” in April, during a time when he did not appear publicly. Furthermore, in March, Russian intelligence allegedly foiled an internal plot to assassinate him.
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Truth and imagination
All this information, however, is confused in an impenetrable fog, given by theimpossibility of verifying the sources and a certain tendency to want to believe that Putin is illto justify his actions as carried out by an old sick man and to believe that his death could put an end to the war.
Jeffrey Edmonds, former director for Russia of the United States National Security Council and former CIA military analyst, told Business Insider from “not see anything really credible” in support of the idea that Putin is ill. “What I and others have observed is a marked change in his attitude“, he specified, adding that Putin is “normally the voice of calm in Russia, but publicly he became more emotional and angry“. This change of mood suggests that Putin “is not comfortable with something”but the analyst did not specify what it could be.
