Putin limps across room as he observes major Russian war games alongside 'side-lined' Sergei Shoigu

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to walk with a limp as he attended Russia’s major Vostok war games today, raising fresh doubts over his health.

The Russian leader, 69, observed the major military exercises from inside a command post while sitting next to his defence minister Sergei Shoigu who is said to have been ‘sidelined’ by Putin due to Russia’s heavy losses in Ukraine.

As Putin arrived at the command post at the Sergeyevsky training range in Russia’s Far East, he appeared to be walking with a limp when he crossed the room to watch the war games.

Video shows Putin walking stiffly across the room and he appears to hesitate before stepping down to reach a set of chairs.

It comes just day after Putin’s legs were seen twitching uncontrollably while giving a rambling speech in front of young Russians.

Questions about Putin’s health have been circulating for some time in Russia with some suggesting he has cancer or Parkinson’s and he has regularly disappeared for days at a time amid claims he is undergoing surgery.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to walk with a limp as he attended Russia's major Vostok war games today, raising fresh doubts over his health

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to walk with a limp as he attended Russia’s major Vostok war games today, raising fresh doubts over his health

The Russian leader, 69, observed the major military exercises from inside a command post while sitting next to his defence minister Sergei Shoigu who has been 'sidelined' by Putin due to Russia's heavy losses in Ukraine

The Russian leader, 69, observed the major military exercises from inside a command post while sitting next to his defence minister Sergei Shoigu who has been ‘sidelined’ by Putin due to Russia’s heavy losses in Ukraine

A Russian serviceman takes part in the 'Vostok-2022' military exercises as helicopters fly above at the Sergeevskyi training ground outside the city of Ussuriysk on the Russian Far East on Tuesday

A Russian serviceman takes part in the ‘Vostok-2022’ military exercises as helicopters fly above at the Sergeevskyi training ground outside the city of Ussuriysk on the Russian Far East on Tuesday

Russian President Vladimir Putin watches the Vostok 2022 military exercise in far eastern Russia, outside Vladivostok, on Tuesday

Russian President Vladimir Putin watches the Vostok 2022 military exercise in far eastern Russia, outside Vladivostok, on Tuesday

The rumours gained such traction that the Kremlin was forced to go on record and deny them, with Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisting the Russian leader was in ‘excellent health’ and any rumour to the contrary was ‘complete nonsense’.

But the rumours have grown stronger since he launched his barbaric invasion of Ukraine, with the leader often appearing to be not in full control of his limbs.

In recent months, he has been seen hobbling off a plane in Iran with a limp arm and twisting his foot in a meeting with Belarus dictator Lukashenko in May.

And this week, Putin was seen speaking to schoolchildren while twitching his legs manically and firmly gripping an armrest. 

Shaking is one of the main symptoms of Parkinson’s – a condition that Hitler is thought to have suffered from towards the end of the Second World War.

On Tuesday, he was seen limping across the room and looking ill at ease as he stepped down to sit down in a chair. 

SEPTEMBER 5: While lecturing Russian students, Putin repeatedly tapped both of his feet on the floor and held on to his armrest for support

SEPTEMBER 5: While lecturing Russian students, Putin repeatedly tapped both of his feet on the floor and held on to his armrest for support

AUGUST 25: Vladimir Putin is seen gripping the same desk with his right hand during a meeting with Head of the Federal Taxation Service Daniil Yegorov

AUGUST 25: Vladimir Putin is seen gripping the same desk with his right hand during a meeting with Head of the Federal Taxation Service Daniil Yegorov

JULY 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen hobbling from his presidential plane during the welcoming ceremony in Tehran

JULY 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen hobbling from his presidential plane during the welcoming ceremony in Tehran 

APRIL 21: Putin is seen gripping his desk with his right hand while meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in the early stages of the war. The footage from the meeting raised questions about Putin's health

APRIL 21: Putin is seen gripping his desk with his right hand while meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in the early stages of the war. The footage from the meeting raised questions about Putin’s health

What’s wrong with Putin?

Rumours have been circling for years that Vladimir Putin is suffering from health problems, and they have intensified since he launched his brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Critics and Kremlin sources have indicated he may be suffering from cancer of Parkinson’s, supported by footage showing the leader shaking uncontrollably and gripping a table for support.

He has also disappeared from the public eye for weeks at a time, with suggestions he is undergoing surgery.

Valery Solovey, professor at Moscow State Institute of Foreign Affairs first hinted at Putin’s health problems, said in 2020 that Putin had undergone surgery for cancer.

Another unnamed source suggested the operation was on Putin’s abdomen. 

He said: ‘One is of a psycho-neurological nature, the other is a cancer problem.

‘If anyone is interested in the exact diagnosis, I’m not a doctor, and I have no ethical right to reveal these problems.

‘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.

‘Based on this information people will be able to make a conclusion about his life horizon, which wouldn’t even require specialist medical education.’

The Kremlin has consistently denied that there is anything wrong with Putin’s health. 

Others have previously noted his ‘gunslinger’s gait’ – a clearly reduced right arm swing compared to his left, giving him a lilting swagger.

An asymmetrically reduced arm swing is a classic feature of Parkinson’s and can manifest in ‘clinically intact subjects with a predisposition to later develop’ the disease, according to the British Medical Journal.

In February, Putin was seen with a shaking hand as he firmly gripped the side of his chair for support.

The clip, which was taken on February 18, just before the onset of his invasion of Ukraine, shows him welcoming fellow strongman Alexander Lukashenko at the Kremlin.

He pulls his trembling hand into his body in an attempt to quell the shakes, but then he almost stumbles as he unsteadily walks towards Lukashenko.

Later, Putin sits on a chair but is unable to remain still, constantly fidgeting and tapping his feet while he grips onto the arm for support.

In a meeting with defence minister Sergei Shoigu, Putin’s poor posture and his apparently bloated face and neck fuelled the speculation.

Video showed Putin speaking to Shoigu whilst gripping the edge of the table with his right hand – so hard that it appears white – and tapping his foot consistently. 

He has since been seen limping and shaking his hands and legs, further bolstering the rumours.

Putin was seen sitting next to Shoigu and the military chief of staff Valery Gerasimov while he watched the 2022 Vostok Games through a set of binoculars.

Tensions between Shoigu and Putin have worsened since Russia invaded Ukraine more than six months ago, with British intelligence officials saying that the defence minister has been ‘sidelined’ by the Russian leader. 

Britain’s Ministry of Defence said last week the veteran politician who has held the defence post for 10 years is no longer the confidant and ally he previously was to the leader.

And those tensions were visible today between the pair, with Shoigu and Putin both sat with serious expressions as they watched the military exercises.

There was only one point where they were shown smiling and joking during the meeting where they inspected the military exercise. 

The Vostok war games also involve troops from China and India, although it was not clear if units from those countries were taking part in the portion observed by Putin.

 By proceeding with the four-yearly Vostok exercises, Putin appeared to be sending a signal that Russia’s military is able to conduct business as usual despite the demands of the Ukraine war, where his forces have suffered heavy losses in men and equipment while being fought to a virtual standstill after occupying around a fifth of the country.

Moscow has insisted that its capacity to stage the military exercise would in no way be affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.   

But the 50,000 Russian troops that are said to be taking part in the Vostok 2022 war games are just a fraction of the 300,000 that drilled alongside those from China and Mongolia four years ago. Western military analysts say they believe both figures are exaggerated.

Russia’s defence ministry said 140 military aircraft, 60 warships and over 5,000 items of military hardware will be deployed – a marked decline on the 1,000 aircraft and 36,000 tanks and armoured vehicles that were sent into the 2018 manoeuvres.

The smaller scale of this year’s Vostok war games reflects the major losses that Russian troops and artillery have suffered in Ukraine since the invasion began six months ago. 

‘This is going to be the smallest strategic-level exercise in years because the entire ground forces potential is engaged in operations in Ukraine. So the exercise will have to be very small,’ said Konrad Muzyka, director of the Rochan military consultancy based in Poland.

On Tuesday, the defence ministry released video of the naval part of the exercise, showing Russia’s Pacific Fleet practising launching Kalibr cruise missiles which it said had successfully struck a target more than 185 miles away.

On Monday, Russian and Chinese combat ships practised repelling an enemy air attack using air defence artillery systems. Last week warships from the two countries carried out anti-ship, anti-air and anti-submarine defence tasks in the Sea of Japan, the ministry said.

Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared a ‘no limits’ partnership in February, promising to collaborate more closely against the West.

Russia’s defence ministry said 140 military aircraft, 60 warships and over 5,000 items of military hardware will be deployed – a marked decline on the 1,000 aircraft and 36,000 tanks and armoured vehicles that were sent into the 2018 manoeuvres.

Russian Uragan self-propelled 220mm multiple rocket launchers fire projectiles during the 'Vostok-2022' military exercises on Tuesday

Russian Uragan self-propelled 220mm multiple rocket launchers fire projectiles during the ‘Vostok-2022’ military exercises on Tuesday

Russian tank takes part in the Vostok 2022 strategic command and staff exercise at the Sergeyevsky training ground on Tuesday

Russian tank takes part in the Vostok 2022 strategic command and staff exercise at the Sergeyevsky training ground on Tuesday

Russian large anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov participates in the Vostok 2022 war games on Monday

Russian large anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov participates in the Vostok 2022 war games on Monday 

Vladimir Putin’s five medically-related disappearances  

November 2012: Business trips and long-distance flights of the president are canceled, some of Putin’s meetings shown by the Kremlin turn out to be ‘canned food’

March 5 – 15, 2015: Putin does not appear in public, all meetings are ‘canned’ – in other words pre-recorded events were shown with the pretense they were in real time

August 9-16, 2017: The President, with journalists, visits Abkhazia and Sochi, and then for a week the Kremlin publishes only ‘canned food’

February 2018: In the midst of an election campaign, the president cancels public events. Peskov admits that the head of state ‘had a cold’

September 13-29, 2021: Putin goes into ‘self-isolation’, all events are held via video link

The smaller scale of this year’s Vostok war games reflects the major losses that Russian troops and artillery have suffered in Ukraine since the invasion began six months ago. 

‘This is going to be the smallest strategic-level exercise in years because the entire ground forces potential is engaged in operations in Ukraine. So the exercise will have to be very small,’ said Konrad Muzyka, director of the Rochan military consultancy based in Poland.

On Tuesday, the defence ministry released video of the naval part of the exercise, showing Russia’s Pacific Fleet practising launching Kalibr cruise missiles which it said had successfully struck a target more than 185 miles away.

On Monday, Russian and Chinese combat ships practised repelling an enemy air attack using air defence artillery systems. Last week warships from the two countries carried out anti-ship, anti-air and anti-submarine defence tasks in the Sea of Japan, the ministry said.

Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared a ‘no limits’ partnership in February, promising to collaborate more closely against the West.

India has sent an army contingent to the drills which it says is taking part in ‘joint field training exercises, combat discussions and firepower exercises’.

Russia is the biggest supplier of military hardware to India, which went ahead with the exercise days after the United States said it had concerns about any country holding such manoeuvres with Russia now.

Moscow says the war games also involve military contingents and observers from Algeria, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria and six former Soviet republics.

Hundreds of miles away in Ukraine today, Russia continues to be pushed back by Kyiv’s forces after launching a counter offensive last week. 

In the southern Kherson region, occupied by the Russians since early on in the war, the Ukrainian army destroyed Russia’s logistical centers. A pontoon bridge was blown up overnight and a command center was hit, as well as two checkpoints.

After months of enduring punishing Russian artillery assaults in the east, Ukraine has at last begun its long-awaited counter-attack, its biggest since it drove Russian forces away from the outskirts of Kyiv in March.

Russian Navy sailors prepare a helicopter for take off on the large anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov during the Vostok 2022 war games in the Sea of Japan on Monday

Russian Navy sailors prepare a helicopter for take off on the large anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov during the Vostok 2022 war games in the Sea of Japan on Monday 

Ukraine had kept most details of its new campaign under wraps, banning journalists from the frontline and offering little public commentary in order to preserve tactical surprise. Russia has said it has repelled assaults in Kherson.

In a rare acknowledgment from the Russian side that the Ukrainian counter-offensive was spoiling Moscow’s plans for territory it has seized, TASS news agency quoted a Moscow-installed official in Kherson as saying plans for a referendum to annex the region to Russia had been put on hold due to the security situation.

Mark Hertling, a retired former commander of U.S. ground forces in Europe, said Kyiv’s aim appeared to be to trap thousands of Russian troops on the east bank of the vast Dnipro River, destroying bridges the Russians now use for supplies and would need to escape.

Russia had left ‘a force in Kherson, with a river at their back & limited supply lines’, and Ukraine was hitting them with ‘precision weapons, confusing a RU force that already has very low morale and poor leadership,’ Hertling tweeted.

Meanwhile, fears grew on Tuesday for the the Zaporizhzhia plant – Europe’s largest nuclear power plant – as shelling around it continued, a day after the facility was again knocked off Ukraine’s electricity grid and put in the precarious position of relying on its own power to run safety systems.  

Repeated warnings from world leaders that fighting around the Zaporizhzhia plant has put it in an untenable situation that could lead to a nuclear catastrophe have done little to stem the hostilities. 

Russian-installed officials accused the Ukrainian forces of shelling the city where the plant is located on Tuesday, hours after the Ukrainians said Kremlin forces attacked a city across the river.

source: dailymail.co.uk