Vladimir Putin appears to fall asleep in meeting
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have been caught having a nap during a recent meeting - while many of his officials were also filmed drifting off.
The 69-year-old is currently touring the far eastern regions of Russia, with a recent meeting taking him to an island near Vladivostok - some 6,400 km from the capital city of Moscow.
While there, Putin attended a council meeting on tourism, although he seemed to find it less than stimulating.
At various points, he and many others present at the meeting could be seen nodding off. Watch below:
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The drowsiness of the meeting's attendees might have had something to do with some of them travelling across seven time zones to attend, but Putin's weariness is bound to feed speculation about the Russian President's health.
One domestic source claimed Putin has been suffering from serious issues for a while now.
Telegram channel General SVR said that, even prior to his recent Siberian trip, the leader was suffering from problems with his kidneys.
Upon arriving in the Far East, they reported that Putin complained of feeling 'fatigued', while also suffering from shortness of breath.
The channel stated: “Even before the flight to Kamchatka, President of Russia Vladimir Putin had worsening problems with his kidneys, swelling of his face appeared, [and] ’bags’ under his eyes clearly appeared.
"Despite the use of drugs, there was no clear improvement. Upon arrival in Kamchatka, Putin complained to doctors about fatigue and shortness of breath."
While at the meeting in question, Putin did certainly appear puffy-faced. Far from just feeling run down, General SVR speculate that he's suffering from serious health problems - although no proof was provided to back this up.
The author of these reports is thought to be an exiled Kremlin lieutenant-general, who uses the pseudonym 'Viktor Mikhailovich'.
Russian officials continue to deny that Putin is suffering from any health issues, but that hasn't stopped Mikhailovioch from sharing his supposed 'insider knowledge' with the wider world.
General SVR add: “The president nevertheless decided to participate in pre-planned activities. [A] doppelgänger of the President is ready to assist."
In light of a hectic schedule, as well as the on-going demands of leading Russia's war effort in Ukraine, use of a 'body double' moving forwards could be one possible option for Putin if his health worsens.
Despite being used by several former Kremlin leaders, including Josef Stalin and Leonid Brezhnev, Putin has historically 'discarded' the idea of body doubles altogether.
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Topics: Vladimir Putin, Russia, Ukraine, World News, Politics
Tom Fenton