On Monday, Putin is health update a statement was circulated by General SVR, a Telegram channel known for monitoring Kremlin activities, claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin had experienced a “cardiac arrest” on Sunday evening. The statement also alleged that all recent appearances by Putin, including his foreign visits, had been carried out by a body double or even multiple doubles.
However, the Kremlin swiftly addressed these claims on Tuesday, vehemently denying the report of President Putin’s cardiac arrest. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, categorically stated, “Everything is fine with him; this is nothing more than another false rumor.” When questioned about the use of body doubles for Putin, Peskov responded with laughter, dismissing such assertions as baseless and laughable, stating, “This falls into the realm of absurd misinformation that certain media outlets persistently discuss. It elicits nothing more than a smile.”
The General SVR Telegram channel had asserted that around 21:05 Moscow time, security personnel in the vicinity of Putin’s residence heard noises and sounds of objects falling coming from the president’s bedroom. Two security officers rushed to the scene and found Putin on the floor near the bed, alongside an overturned table with food and drinks.
The channel reported, “It is likely that when the president fell, he collided with the table and the tableware, causing the commotion. Putin was seen convulsing while on the floor, with his eyes rolling. The on-duty doctors at the residence, situated in an adjacent room, were immediately called to the scene.”
Although the identity of the General SVR channel remains undisclosed, it is known for regularly sharing updates related to the Kremlin. The channel had previously highlighted concerns about Putin’s health, citing conditions like oncology and other illnesses. The reported cardiac arrest incident apparently deeply worried Putin’s inner circle, despite earlier warnings from attending physicians that his health was in a fragile state and that he might not survive until the end of autumn.
Notably, Putin had recently visited China to attend the tenth summit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In a 2020 interview, he refuted rumors about using body doubles, although he did mention that he had been offered the option of using one for security reasons in the past, as reported by Reuters.
