Putin fit and well, says Kremlin; rejects body double rumours

The Kremlin today dismissed rumors regarding President Vladimir Putin's well-being, affirming that he was fit and well.

During a routine briefing with journalists, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refuted claims that the president uses body doubles while calling it an "absurd hoax".

Reporters inquired about Putin's health due to an unverified report from a Russian Telegram channel, which had been circulated by certain Western media outlets, suggesting that the president had experienced a significant health incident on Sunday.

Since 2022, various reports have suggested that Putin may be battling serious ailments, including cancer and Parkinson's disease. These rumors have been fueled by observations of Putin appearing unsteady and bloated in public appearances.

In September, a post on a Russian Telegram channel by 'Z-blogger' Pozdnyakov had reignited chatter about Putin's health. The post, accompanied by a picture of Putin, reads: "God, don't you leave us. Pray to God you are alive and healthy."

During a 2020 interview, Putin addressed persistent speculations about the use of body doubles, refuting them while acknowledging that he had been offered the option of using one in the past for security purposes.

In April of this year, Peskov emphatically dismissed the notion of body doubles as "yet another falsehood" and affirmed that Putin enjoys excellent health.

The Kremlin has consistently denied such rumours. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the cancer rumors as "fiction and falsehood" in April. Similarly, CIA Director William J Burns stated in July that, as far as the agency could tell, Putin was "entirely too healthy."