The Kremlin this week broke its silence over a wave of articles claiming that Russian President, Vladimir Putin, had suffered cardiac arrest and that the government was using a body double in his place.
One report from Telegram channel, General SVR, claimed that Putin had been found lying on the floor and had been moved to a special room at his home where he was resuscitated.
The article alleged that Putin was in a stable condition despite being under constant medical supervision, adding that “Putin was so ill, he was unlikely to live until the end of autumn”.
The United Kingdom’s The Daily Mirror reported that Putin was discovered by security officers lying next to his bed. The report stated that he fell and hit a table, knocking its contents onto the floor.
The Kremlin denied the allegations.
“Everything is fine with him. This is absolutely another fake," Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov told journalists at a news briefing.
He added that the claims were absurd.
“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,” Peskov said.
Claims that Putin uses a body double came to light last year.
At the time, Major General Kyrylo Budanov - who serves as Ukraine's head of military intelligence - has claimed that he uses body doubles in an attempt to cover up his loss of control in the Kremlin.
IOL