Russia has denied rumors that Vladimir Putin soiled himself after he fell down the stairs last week.
“Regarding your request, we can say that this is completely untrue,” the Press and Information Office of the President informed Newsweek in an email.
Russian president’s press team denies that Putin fell down stairs, soiled himself
The Kremlin’s statement comes after the Telegram channel General SVR reported that the 70-year-old president fell down the stairs at his Moscow home on November 30.
The channel is said to be run by an ex-Russian spy. They also published that Putin injured his tailbone, and ‘involuntarily defecated’ due to the consequences of colon cancer, which claims links to his bodyguards.
The dictator’s press team has been trying to clean up his image after the awkward report. Putin’s purported discharge came in the frenzy of news and conjecture about his declining health, claiming that he had advanced cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
“Three bodyguards helped the president get to the nearest couch and summoned medics, who are on duty at the residence,” General SVR stated last week.
“Nothing critical [was diagnosed], the president’s condition closer to nighttime was stable, he can get around on his own, with pain in the coccyx area while sitting being the only thing that bothers him,” it added.
The day following the reported incident, the image-conscious ruler was photographed visiting a lab in Moscow.
Leaked reports reveal Putin has Parkinson’s and cancer
Speculations about the 70-year-old president’s ailing health have circulated for years. The Russian tyrant is also thought to be closely monitored by a team of doctors. Putin has appeared frail and wobbly in public on multiple occasions.
A journalist for the Kyiv Post recently shared screenshots of Putin visiting soldiers in the Ryazan district, sparking rumors that he was carrying IV tracks. During a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, General SVR also questioned Putin’s wobbly posture.
According to Newsweek, a Russian official refuted allegations about Putin’s ailments earlier this year in an interview with French television station TF1. In addition, the Kremlin dismissed claims of health problems in July.
“Everything is fine with his health,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed Forbes.
