Putin Cancer Rumors Return As Video Shows Intravenous Marks On Hand: Video footage of Vladimir Putin released on Monday once again sparked rumors that the Russian president is suffering from a medical condition and is undergoing treatment. The footage, released by the Kremlin, shows the Russian president holding a soldier’s arm. Unusual marks could be seen o the back of Putin’s hands, which many observers suggested could be a mark left by an intravenous drip.
Vladimir Putin. Image Credit: Russian Government.
The footage was released by the Zvezda TV channel which is operated by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Two versions of the video were shared, one of which featured watermarks that obscure the view of the Russian president’s hand. The original footage, however, is still available online and clearly shows some kind of mark on the back of the president’s hand.
PUTIN’S HEALTH ??
Videos released by ?? Government news show what could be track marks, from IVs, on the hand of Putin.
For the same event, the Kremlin released two videos: One with tons of watermarks (making the hand harder to see), the other without any shot of his hand. pic.twitter.com/a1mfs6hOud
— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) October 22, 2022
The video appears to show the Russian president meeting with soldiers at a military training facility. In the clip, Putin encourages and thanks his soldiers, and also takes a turn firing a gun.
Video 2.
Why no watermarks on the video?3/3 pic.twitter.com/x3DQpI7iEX
— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) October 22, 2022
Speaking to Fox News, Rebekah Koffler, former Defense Intelligence Agency officer for Russian Doctrine and Strategy, cast doubt on the legitimacy of rumors that Putin is suffering from cancer. Noting that the origins of the marks remain unclear, Koffler said that Putin “doesn’t have the look of someone with a chronic ongoing condition such as cancer.”
Adding that the possibility of Putin suffering from cancer cannot be ruled out, Koffler also warned that spreading these rumors could be harmful to the United States and Europe.
“The resulting effect of such false narratives is harmful. The rumors about Putin [being] ousted or about becoming incapacitated end up setting up unrealistic expectations among Americans and Europeans who might think that if Putin were gone, the war would stop and the Russia problem would go away,” Koffler said.
Reports of Putin’s declining health have existed for some time and stretch back to before the war in Ukraine began. While Koffler doesn’t believe that the reports have merit, the U.S. intelligence community seems to disagree. In June, a U.S. Intelligence Report claimed that Putin was treated for cancer in April.
Relatives “Concerned About Coughing Fits”
The marks on Putin’s hand could be explained by reports that the Russian president underwent a medical examination this weekend after his relatives expressed concern over frequent coughing fits and a constant feeling of nausea.
General SVR, the Russian Telegram account long believed to be operated by an anonymous Kremlin insider, claimed that Putin’s closest relatives and confidantes are concerned about his “thinness and persistent cough.” The Telegram outlet has long claimed that the Russian president is suffering from cancer and is receiving drugs to treat his condition from Israel.
The Telegram channel reported that despite recent videos and photographs showing Putin’s face looking inflamed and round, the Russian leader is actually losing weight at a rapid pace, losing 18lbs in just a few months.
Both Putin himself and his relatives, as well as doctors, are worried about the president’s coughing fits, as well as constant nausea and lack of appetite due to medication and a specific diet [for] oncology,” the channel claims.
Importantly, however, the channel provided no evidence to back up the claims, nor is there any evidence to suggest that General SVR does have inside knowledge of matters relating to the Kremlin or Putin.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
