Russia Finally Comments About Putin's Health, Denies President's Illness

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday issued a rare statement concerning the health of President Vladimir Putin, saying he was not ill as some rumors claimed.

Speaking to France’s broadcaster TF1, Lavrov dismissed rumors claiming that Putin is suffering from “blood cancer” and other serious illnesses. He also added that “sane people” could see that the rumors are untrue.

“I don’t think that sane people can see in this person signs of some kind of illness or ailment. You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his speeches,” Lavrov said, as translated by The Times of Israel. “I leave it to the conscience of those who spread such rumors.”

Russian officials have almost never discussed Putin’s health and private life in public. However, his health has come into question many times over the past years.

In 2012, Reuters cited three sources as saying that Putin would likely have surgery soon due to back trouble. The Kremlin denied the report. However, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said the leader’s back pain was caused by an “ordinary sporting injury” after newspaper Vedomosti revealed the Russian president hurt himself while hang-gliding.

In the same year, footage posted by religious leaders in Russia showed Putin with a slight limp while attending the National Unity Day on Nov. 4. But the Kremlin only released still photos of Putin at the ceremony.

Between 2016 to 2017, at least five doctors — including an ENT specialist, an infectious disease specialist, a staff rescuscitologist and a neurosurgeon — were seen accompanying Putin regularly. The number of doctors accompanying him would later swell to 13, according to Proekt.

In August 2017, Putin disappeared from the public eye, with Dr. Evgeny Selivanov, an oncologist-surgeon, joining his medical entourage.

In February 2018, Putin disappeared just one month before polling day. At the time, Peskov said the Russian leader was suffering from a cold.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Putin has also enforced stringent isolation procedures on anyone due to meet him face-to-face. His guests were required to isolate two weeks prior to the meeting and pass through a disinfectant tunnel.

The recent rumors about his health first surfaced in April when footage showed him gripping the edge of a table and appearing bloated while meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.