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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Ryan Fahey

5 signs Vladimir Putin is suffering from major illness - from limp to violent shaking

Evidence of Vladimir Putin having a severe neurological disorder like Parkinson's is mounting with clips emerging of the tyrant violently shaking.

A number of chilling clues supporting the theory have surfaced since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Up until now, the Kremlin is yet to offer any explanation about the tyrant's poor health - which seems to be becoming more noticeable.

The dramatic decline in his physical state has lead outsiders to wonder if he's battling a serious illness or even several conditions at once - and whether these ailments corrupted his state of mind and influenced his decisions during the war.

One theory suggests a cancer surgeon who's a specialist in "elderly and senile" patients with thyroid tumours is being kept at the President's beck and call.

The first mention of Parkinson's came in November last year when a political analyst said he believed the leader had been struck with both conditions, citing Kremlin sources.

In recent days, evidence supporting the theories has become stronger - with one particular clip showing Putin visibly shaking during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Eastern European news site Visegrad24 said it was “probably the clearest video of something being wrong with Putin’s health”.

It comes just days after Putin, 69, was filmed shaking anxiously, fidgeting and chewing his lips at an Orthodox Easter service in Moscow.

Below are all the signs Putin is suffering with an illness.

Putin shakes uncontrollably in new video of Lukashenko meeting (RBC TV)

The Lukashenko meeting

In a shocking clip released yesterday, Putin's hand appears to shake in a severe spasm several times when he takes it out of his pocket to greet with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The warmonger's hands and legs appear to shudder as he clenches one hand in a fist and holds the other to his chest.

Massachusetts-based physician Emily Deans said the clip of the shaky meeting is the "most abnormal" piece of footage confirming the Parkinson's theory.

Visegrad24, an eastern European news aggregator, first published the footage online, and said it was “probably the clearest video of something being wrong with Putin’s health”, according to the Daily Express.

Rory Cellan-Jones, the BBC ’s former technology correspondent, who announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s himself, also said he believed it to be symptomatic of the disease.

Slouching and keeping hand still

Putin was seen looking "bloated' and "feeble" during a televised meeting with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday.

As slouching Putin discussed how to choke off Mariupol's steel industry with the lawmaker, the same hand seen shaking yesterday was gripped tightly to the table.

He was "barely able to hold himself upright" as he gripped the table and sat opposite the defence minister, discussing how to choke off Mariupol's steel industry, an expert told The Sun.

Putin gripped the table during a televised defence meeting (via REUTERS)

Former Tory MP Louise Mensch previously spoke of Putin's potential health problems.

She wrote: "Putin has Parkinson’s disease and here you can see him gripping the table so that his shaking hand is not visible but he cannot stop his foot from tapping."

'Unsteady and distracted' at church

Putin fuelled more speculation he's battling the neurological illness by appearing "unsteady and distracted" while trying to sing hymns at an Easter service over the weekend.

A clip of the Russian despot looking shaky and anxious at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral has further stoked the rumours.

In the brief video of the service, he was seen chewing his lips and fidgeting as he murmured once in chorus with the congregation, saying "truly he is risen".

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Orthodox Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia over the weekend (ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove previously agreed Putin may have Parkinson's.

He told GB News last month: "What’s also worrying is the speculation, and it is speculation, that maybe Putin’s behaviour, maybe his rationality is prejudiced or compromised by illness.

"The best explanation, that we don’t know whether it’s correct or not, is that he may have Parkinson’s.

"That certainly I’ve heard from several neurologists who say that loss of restrain, psychosis, are very common Parkinson’s symptoms."

The Parkinson's theory

Theories about Putin's ailing health were sparked by political analyst Professor Valery Solovei, who in November 2020 suggested the tyrant had developed cancer and Parkinson's - which was being hidden from the Russian public.

Though the theory was denied by the Kremlin, Prof Solovei said the despot had also received treatment for the degenerative disease in February 2021.

At the time, Prof Solovei also said the President planned to step down from his position in early 2022.

People first noticed something was wrong with the president's health in November 2020 (Getty Images)
Other theories say he has a personality or other mental health disorder, or thyroid cancer (YURI KOCHETKOV/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

A separate Russian source suggested the Russian leader had undergone surgery for abdominal cancer.

Speaking of both conditions in 2020, Prof Solovei said: “One is of psycho-neurological nature, the other is a cancer problem...

”The second diagnosis is a lot, lot more dangerous than the first named diagnosis as Parkinson’s does not threaten physical state, but just limits public appearances."

Prof Solovei - the former chief of Moscow State Institute of International Relations PR department - claimed it was Kremlin officials who confirmed Putin's diagnosis.

Putin's limp

Thousands of Russians turned out for a pro-war rally memorialising the annexation of Crimea in Moscow in late March - where Putin was a special guest speaker.

But the despot's health again overshadowed the event when he was seen unsteadily limping off stage after bidding farewell to the massive crowd.

At the time, Twitter erupted with speculation - with most users believing it showed proof that the tyrant was gravely ill.

One Twitter user, Nigel Davies, said: “Putin limping. I'm almost sure he's seriously ill.”

Putin delivering a speech to a thousands-strong crowd in Moscow in Moscow in March (Getty Images)

Another wrote: “Frail Putin gathered all his strength to get out of his bunker and held a fascist rally today as if his life depends on it. He is right. He will get overthrown/killed w/o public support.

“This is a life-and-death situation for him. He has a severe limp - this was not televised.”

US Senator Marco Rubio speculated at the time "something is off" about the Kremlin chief.

Mr Rubio told the Telegraph : “I wish I could share more, but for now, I can say it’s pretty obvious to many that something is off with Putin.

“He has always been a killer, but his problem now is different and significant."

Putin, he went on to add, “appears to have some neuro/physiological health issues.”

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