Vladimir Putin appears to have lost the use of his right arm.
The focus has fallen back on the Russian president’s health after footage emerged on Sunday showing him apparently unable to swat away a mosquito at his country’s Navy Day event.
It comes as the 69-year-old branded America one of Russia’s biggest threats, while experts say his invasion of Ukraine is running out of steam so badly he is plotting an escape from Russia if his war fails.
A video clip captured the moment Putin was given a tour of a military museum as part of a weekend marking Russia’s Navy Day, held on the last Sunday of every July.
He can be seen speaking with Ksenia, daughter of defence minister Sergei Shoigu, when mosquitoes start buzzing around the right side of his face.
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Putin raises his left arm in an attempt to swat them away while his right arm hangs limply by his side.
He continues to itch and swat around his head with one arm before walking alongside Ksenia with a limp as she continues her tour.
Putin has been rumoured to be suffering from cancer and dementia, with experts speculating his bloated face is a sign he is on steroids – sparking warnings he could be suffering “roid rage”.
It was reported in March the intelligence community is sharing a growing number of reports about Putin’s “increasingly erratic behaviour”.
A security source told MailOnline at the time: “There has been an identifiable change in his decision-making over the past five years or so.
“Those around him see a marked change in the cogency and clarity of what he says and how he perceives the world around him.”
The mosquito footage was captured at the same event where Putin signed a new military doctrine that accuses the United States of being Moscow’s greatest threat.
According to a Telegram channel claiming to originate from inside the Kremlin, Putin and his friends are making preparations to flee Russia should his army be defeated in Ukraine.
The Russian leader bragged at Navy Day about Moscow’s new supposed Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles.
He said: “The key thing here is the capability of the Russian navy. It is able to respond with lightning speed to all who decides to infringe on our sovereignty and freedom.”
Putin added a growing threat is “the strategic policy of the USA to dominate the world’s oceans”.