General SVR posted a lengthy story on Telegram last week about how Putin had a stressful day at work filled with discussions of Russia’s failing economy and the war with Ukraine. At the end of the day, General SVR said the Russian president slipped and fell five steps, landing on his tailbone. The jarring fall allegedly caused Putin to “defecate involuntarily”.
General SVR is unsubstantiated, and although the anonymous page is allegedly operated by a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service official with inside access to Putin and his staff, it often makes anti-Kremlin posts that aren’t verified. The page has posted many times on Putin’s alleged failing health, and many people following the war from across the globe have been quick to speculate and closely examine Putin’s actions, looking for clues into his health.
However, in an email sent to Newsweek on Tuesday, the Press and Information Office of the President of the Russian Federation denied the claim that Putin fell down the stairs, suffered a bruised tailbone and soiled himself.
“Regarding your request, we can say that this is completely untrue,” the email said.
Rumors of Putin suffering from a mystery illness—everything from different types of cancer to Parkinson’s disease and mental health illnesses—have been shared for years, although speculation has increased since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. Many of the reports have speculated similar illnesses over the years, with cancer and Parkinson’s disease usually at the top of the list.
Russian officials have previously denied claims that Putin is sick. In May, a Russian official shut down rumors of the president’s illnesses in an interview with French television station TF1. In July, Forbes reported that the Kremlin again denied rumors of illness.
“Everything is fine with his health,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of Putin in the article. “You know that Ukrainian information specialists, and American and British ones, have been throwing out various fakes about the state of the president’s health in recent months—these are nothing but fakes.”
Media across the globe have published articles examining Putin’s health as told by photos of the Russian president and video clips of him. Some of the photos depict Putin clenching a table with his hand, allegedly to stop his hand from shaking, and tapping his foot. Those struggling with Parkinson’s disease can exhibit symptoms such as tremors, loss of balance and stiffness.
Newsweek reached out to the General SVR Telegram channel for comment.
