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Putin, video showing swollen hand reignites doubts about Russian president’s health

New footage of meeting with young activist shows protruding veins and swollen hands, fuelling speculation about Vladimir Putin’s health

A new video of Vladimir Putin, circulating on social media in recent hours, has raised new questions about the Russian president’s health. In images released by the New York Post and the Daily Mail, the 73-year-old leader’s right hand appears visibly swollen and with dilated veins as he shakes hands with young activist Yekaterina Leshchinskaya during an event dedicated to the ban on electronic cigarettes.

Russian president’s health: Gerashchenko, “Something is wrong”

According to Anton Gerashchenko, former adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, “There is something wrong with Putin’s hands. Apart from the fact that they are covered in blood up to his elbows, his veins are protruding abnormally”. Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon described the president’s hand as “swollen and painful, with very prominent veins”.

In recent years, several public appearances by Putin had already fuelled speculation: from his unusually swollen face to the involuntary movements of his legs during conferences and official meetings. According to some doctors interviewed by the Daily Mail, the symptoms could be consistent with steroid use, treatment for a chronic condition, or simply advanced age. However, more serious conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or other neurological diseases cannot be ruled out.

The Kremlin has always denied any rumours about the president’s health problems or the alleged existence of body doubles, calling them “fabrications and fantasies” spread by foreign media.

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