'Absurd Hoax': Kremlin Refutes Reports Of Putin Suffering Heart Attack, Says 'He Is Fit And Well'
Numerous reports cited the Telegram channel 'General SVR' as claiming that Vladimir Putin's security agents saw him laying on his bedroom floor about 9 p.m.
The Kremlin dismissed rumours about President Vladimir Putin's health on Tuesday, claiming he was healthy and well, news agency Reuters reported. In a routine call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also disputed the president's use of body doubles, calling it a "absurd hoax." Reporters questioned Peskov on Putin's health after an unsourced story by a Russian Telegram channel, which was picked up by some Western media, that the president had a significant health crisis on Sunday evening.
Numerous reports cited the Telegram channel 'General SVR' as claiming that Vladimir Putin's security agents saw him laying on his bedroom floor about 9 p.m.
“At about 21:05 Moscow time, security officers of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who were on duty at the residence, heard noise and sounds of falling coming from the president's bedroom. Two security officers immediately followed into the president's bedroom and saw Putin lying on the floor next to the bed and an overturned table with food and drinks,” it said.
“Probably, when the president fell, he hit the table and dishes and knocked them onto the floor, which caused the noise. Putin convulsively arched while lying on the floor, rolling his eyes. The doctors who were on duty at the residence and located in one of the adjacent rooms were immediately called," the channel's statement read according to the reports.
Putin, a judo fanatic with a long history of projecting a "action man" image, turned 71 on October 7. He has a busy schedule of meetings and public engagements, many of which are televised.
His latest itinerary includes a trip to China last week, as well as stops in two Russian towns on the way back.
In a 2020 interview, Putin refuted long-standing claims that he employs body doubles, however he did admit that he has been offered the opportunity to do so in the past for security concerns.
Peskov stated in April of this year that speculation about body doubles was "yet another lie" and that Putin was in exceptional condition.
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