The Kremlin has denied that Vladimir Putin is ill following reports that he suffered a heart attack over the weekend.
An unsourced report by a Russian Telegram channel, picked up by some Western media, claimed on Sunday that the Russian president had been struck by a serious illness that evening.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for Putin denied that he was in poor health and dismissed persistent rumours he used body doubles to cover for him in public appearances
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake.”
In response to further questioning about body doubles, Mr Peskov said: “This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. This evokes nothing but a smile.”
Putin, a judo enthusiast who has long cultivated an “action man” image, turned 71 on Oct 7. He maintains an intensive schedule of meetings and public appearances, many of them televised.
His recent programme included a visit to China last week, with stop-offs in two Russian cities on the way back.
In a 2020 interview, Putin also denied long-standing rumours that he uses body doubles, although he said he had been offered the chance to use one in the past for security reasons.
‘He’s entirely too healthy’
Speculation the Russian leader is in declining health – from cancer or Parkinson’s disease – was last year dispelled by the CIA, which described him as “too healthy”.
William Burns, director of the CIA, said at the time there was no intelligence to suggest Putin was sick, despite him appearing unsteady in numerous public appearances since the war began.
“There are lots of rumours about president Putin’s health and as far as we can tell he’s entirely too healthy,” Mr Burns told the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.
In May last year, Putin appeared to have a bloated face and limp on the Russian Victory Day parade, in Red Square, Moscow. He has since been seen shaking and gripping onto tables and chairs for support.
At the time an unnamed Russian oligarch, who claimed to have close ties to the president, told a US magazine that he was “very ill with blood cancer”.
Suspicions were reignited during his trip to Iran in July 2022, when commentators said he appeared to be limping at times with his arm hanging stiffly by his side as he disembarked the plane.
The day after his arrival in Tehran, Putin coughed during a public appearance, when Interfax news agency quoted him as saying he had caught a slight cold during his visit to Iran.
“It was very hot in Tehran yesterday, plus 38 (degrees Celsius), and the air conditioning was very strong there. So I apologise,” Putin was quoted as saying.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.