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Topics: Vladimir Putin
Stewart Perrie
Topics: Vladimir Putin
A top Ukrainian official believes Vladimir Putin has been using a body double recently.
There have been rumours for months that the Russian President's health has been questionable.
As the speculation persists, Ukrainian Major General Vadym Skibitsky has thrown his theory into the ring.
The high-ranking intelligence official said Putin's health is 'not good' and his inner circle is 'panicking' about the future.
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Speaking to The Telegraph, Major General Skibitsky said: "He uses a lot of doubles...and sometimes it is difficult to detect if it is the real Putin or someone replacing him."
Even though the top official believes the Russian leader is in a bad way 'mentally and physically', he believes Putin will stop at nothing to continue the war.
"The main strategic goal remains the same—the total destruction of Ukraine as a state," he explained to the British newspaper.
"He's not likely to stop, he has no room for manoeuvre.
"He understands the resistance from Ukraine will remain very strong, therefore he destroys everything he sees as obstacles to this strategic goal."
The Sun reports that Major General Skibitsky isn't the only high-ranking Ukrainian who is buying into the body double theory.
Ukraine's Major General Kyrylo Budanov claimed on TV that Putin's height and ears have changed in recent appearances.
He said: "The picture, let's say, of the ears, is different... And it's like a fingerprint, each person's ear picture is unique. It cannot be repeated."
He said the body double has 'different habits, different mannerisms, different gaits, sometimes even different heights if you looked closely' to the Russian leader.
This comes off the back of commentators analysing photos and videos of Putin apparently shaking or doing something odd during public engagements.
Russia was forced to issue a message following repeated headlines questioning whether Putin was in good health.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement: "Ukrainian, American and British information 'specialists' have been throwing out various fakes about the state of the president's health in recent months.
"These are nothing but fakes."
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov added: "President Vladimir Putin appears in public every day.
"You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his performances.
"I don't think that sane people can see signs of some kind of illness or poor health."