Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s health is once again the subject of intense global scrutiny after a video clip of his recent public appearance went viral, with social media users focusing on the condition of his hands.
The footage, reportedly captured last week during a meeting with 22-year-old Yekaterina Leshchinskaya, who heads the Russian Healthy Fatherland movement, shows the 73-year-old leader’s right hand looking noticeably wrinkled and swollen with prominent, bulging veins.
The video, shared widely by Ukrainian commentators and international news outlets, including by former adviser to the Ukrainian interior ministry Anton Gerashchenko on X, led to immediate online speculation.
Symptoms Compared to Parkinson’s
Observers on social media suggested that the appearance of Putin’s hand, along with his visible clenching of his fist under his blazer, may be signs of an underlying neurological or circulatory condition. As in previous instances, symptoms were compared to those associated with Parkinson’s disease.
The health of the Russian President has been a continuous focus of media speculation since the start of the war in Ukraine, with earlier reports pointing to mysterious black spots on his hands during a military visit in 2022.
Kremlin Silence and Previous Denials
The Kremlin has a long history of vehemently denying any claims regarding Putin’s ill health, consistently asserting that the leader is “fit and well.” The government has repeatedly dismissed such reports as “fake.”
There has been no official comment from the Kremlin regarding the latest viral video or the renewed speculation.
Adding a bizarre layer to the conversation, some users reflected on a previous viral clip from September, where Putin was allegedly overheard discussing a controversial theory with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping about human organ transplantation, stating, “The longer you live, the younger you become.”