Vladimir Putin underwent “successful” cancer surgery last week and is recovering, just the latest rumors about the Russian leader’s health have claimed.
The 69-year-old underwent an undisclosed procedure late Monday after doctors advised him the treatment was “essential,” according to Telegram channel General SVR, which claims to have information from the Kremlin.
Putin’s condition reportedly worsened briefly on Friday night before improving, the social media account said, adding that doctors advised him not to attend meetings for several days while he recovers.
General SVR said last week that all of Putin’s appearances in state media since Tuesday have been faked, using stock footage to give the impression that he is fine.
In reality, the country is actually ruled by former FSB spy chief and current Security Council chairman Nikolai Patrushev, the channel claims.
Vladimir Putin had successful cancer surgery on Monday last week and is now recovering with all his fake media appearances it has been claimed (Pictured Putin chairing a Security Council meeting on Friday).
The Kremlin has not commented on recent allegations about Putin’s poor health, but regularly denies that he is suffering from any difficulties.
Rumors that Putin is seriously ill – including allegations of cancer and Parkinson’s – have been swirling since at least 2020 but have regained traction since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
General SVR wrote today: “During the night from Monday May 16 to Tuesday May 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin underwent surgery.
“The fact that Putin should be operated on as soon as possible was demanded by his attending doctors.
“According to the doctors involved in treating the President, the operation was successful.
“We have already talked about the fact that on May 17-19 Putin was personally not in the information room and was not even available to his inner circle, with the exception of Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
“From May 17 to May 19, “ready-made”, pre-recorded meetings and messages were published in the information room, and Putin personally conducted two telephone calls during this period.”
Putin was seen Friday apparently chairing a meeting of his Security Council, the body overseeing the war in Ukraine.
Oliver Stone, an American director who spent two years interviewing Putin for a documentary series, said last week that the Russian leader had cancer but beat it
But General SVR said: “The President’s speech was pre-recorded and Putin’s participation in video format was assisted with deepfake technology, as was the case the week before.
“In reality, on May 20, Putin was still too weak to attend long meetings and had two short video calls.
“On the evening of May 20, Putin’s health deteriorated and only stabilized on the morning of May 21.
“The attending physicians recommend that Putin rest in the coming days and urge him to refuse to attend meetings in person.”
It has been claimed that Putin’s close ally, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, is taking part in a smokescreen and is coming to Russia on a trip that is said to include a meeting with Putin today. Lukashenko was spotted in Sochi on the Black Sea.
The Minsk autocrat is “one of the few people” who “knows the true state of affairs regarding Putin’s health.”
It is claimed that previous meetings with Lukashenko were intended to show Putin that he is fit, when in fact he had health problems.
General SVR has been claiming for a few weeks that Putin should have an operation for abdominal cancer. Other sources have suggested thyroid or blood cancer.
Amid the allegations, American film director Oliver Stone – who spent two years interviewing Putin for a documentary series – said he believes the Russian leader once had cancer but beat it.
“Remember, Mr. Putin had this cancer and I think he licked it,” he told podcast interviewer Lex Fridman. “But he was also isolated because of Covid.”
According to a study by the opposition newspaper Proekt, Vladimir Putin is “constantly” accompanied by a doctor who specializes in thyroid cancer.
Surgeon Yevgeny Selivanov from Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital, a specialist in thyroid cancer, is said to be constantly at Putin’s side.
General SVR had previously predicted that doctors had operated on Putin for cancer around this time and predicted his temporary disappearance despite the war in Ukraine.
It has been claimed that key figures believe Putin is terminally ill, which has changed the dynamic in Russia.
Rumors have circulated for years that Putin (pictured at the table during a meeting last month) has health problems, and have intensified since he launched the invasion of Ukraine
Face-to-face meetings with Rostech chief Sergei Chemezov and Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev are said to have taken place on Wednesday and Thursday, but these are said to have taken place earlier and been saved to give the impression that Putin was active.
He also appeared to have video calls on Friday with Sverdlovsk Region Governor Evgeny Kuyvashev and Kaliningrad Region Governor Anton Alikhanov, which are now said to have taken place.
General SVR later said Friday’s Security Council meeting was also staged.
In a speech apparently delivered at the start of the council, which the broadcaster says was staged, Putin claimed the West was trying to hack key Russian government websites.
There were no confirmed appearances from Putin over the weekend, but he will meet Lukashenko, his closest foreign ally, today.
Nur Patrushev — Secretary of the Security Council and a staunch Putin ally for the war — currently maintains official communications with the president, the channel said.
“Let’s see how long this lasts, but the situation is getting tense,” General SVR said.
“The fact is that the elites are not ready to perceive Patrushev as a person who guarantees the current status quo.
“Everyone is aware that if Vladimir Putin retires suddenly or gradually, the situation will change radically.”
Putin “is ill and has incurable diseases such as oncology, which is at a stage that cannot be cured today, Parkinson’s disease and schizoaffective disorder.”
The Russian leader “is certainly receiving the most advanced and innovative treatment and he has the ability to extend his life, there is no doubt about that”.
However, it was unclear when his condition might worsen.
“There is a general feeling, including among the attending physicians, that this is not going to last very long,” the post said.
“But again, we have already said that many people think that Putin will die now and something will change radically.”
Putin can be seen moving his foot awkwardly at a meeting with former Soviet leaders in Moscow a week ago – possibly signaling further health problems
There are people in government who are willing to “sabotage” attempts to continue Putin’s repressive style of government after he was forced to resign.
Ukraine’s victory in the war would trigger this process.
‘There are people [ in positions of power] willing to help big changes,” the post reads.
This could include the release of “political prisoners” like Putin-enemy Alexei Navalny.
“Everyone in the elite is aware of what the death of the President will lead to.
“There will be a big redistribution, there are no guarantees for either the soldiers or the security forces. Simply not.”
The anti-Putin channel’s regular claims about his medical problems are allegedly based on “intelligence information” from an exiled Kremlin lieutenant general known by the pseudonym Viktor Mikhailovich.
It recently claimed that fluid was removed from Putin’s abdomen, which could indicate serious medical problems, but there was no official confirmation.
The channel is also believed to be linked to political analyst Professor Valery Solovey, who claims to have detailed knowledge of Putin’s alleged health problems.
Solovey – who boasts of secret sources in the Kremlin – said in an interview with Zhivoi Gvozd’s YouTube channel: “It is an undeniable fact that [Putin] has a whole bunch of pretty serious diseases.’
Ex-MI6 director Sir Richard Dearlove has predicted that Putin faces will be sent to a sanatorium and will be gone by 2023.
Other Western sources have recently come to believe that warmonger Putin is suffering from serious health problems.
Putin, who turns 70 in October, recently missed an annual ice hockey game that is usually a regular fixture on his schedule.
Last year he said of playing hockey, ‘You extend your life, you make it higher and deeper.’
The channel said: “The victory over the Putin regime will bring not only peace, but also prosperity of Russia, therefore, paradoxically, the victory of Ukraine will lead to the collapse of the Putin regime and, accordingly, to the liberation of Russia [and] all citizens of the Russian Federation who … are ready to live freely and develop without being restricted by this criminal regime.”
At the Online Security Council meeting, Putin was shown complaining that Russia was under attack from Western hackers.
“Since the special military operation in Donbass and Ukraine … Russia has essentially become the target of aggression, information warfare,” he said.
“The number of cyber attacks, including complex attacks, has multiplied.
“Experts believe that this would not be possible for individual hackers.
“Hackers are attacking from different countries in a well-coordinated effort…carried out by state structures…
“We know that some countries’ armies officially include cyber troops.
“Targeted attempts to disable online resources of critical information infrastructure in Russia have been detected.
Media companies, financial institutions and mainstream public websites and networks have been hit hardest
“Official government websites have come under heavy attack.
‘Attempts to attack the company networks of large Russian companies are discovered much more frequently.’