Kremlin issues urgent denial of Putin's ailing health

The Kremlin has been forced to rush out a statement denying Vladimir Putin has health problems after he admitted undergoing regular examinations at a top Moscow hospital.

The Russian dictator, 72, was speaking in a televised session with his health minister Mikhail Murashko aimed at encouraging people to have flu jabs.

'Doctors at the Central Clinical Hospital, where I undergo all sorts of regular examinations, also recommend getting vaccinated with domestically produced drugs,' said Putin.

This evidently led to speculation over the despot's medical condition - which his aides acted quickly to quash.

State news agency TASS was deployed to insist that Putin 'has no health problems' as it emphasised his visits to a hospital known as the Kremlin Clinic were for normal check-ups.

His spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'He meant routine medical examinations.'

In a separate televised meeting on Wednesday, Putin - who is rumoured to have undergone repeated botox treatments - appeared to be itching his face.

Putin's health was the subject of intense speculation several years ago, and particularly at the time of the pandemic when he took exceptional security measures with officials routinely quarantining for two week or longer before seeing him.

This also saw the advent of his notorious long table - when no-one was allowed to sit anywhere near him.

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There were reports of him coughing incessantly, and his hands and feet making seemingly involuntary jerky movements.

On several occasions, he appeared to walk with a limp.

Rumours focused on several types of cancer and Parkinson's Disease.

Leaks suggested he regularly travelled with a cancer surgeon in attendance while observers noted lengthy and mysterious absences from view, with 'canned' - pre-recorded - meetings broadcast to give the impression he was actively working.

Almost one year ago, the Kremlin was even forced to deny claims by Telegram channel General SVR and a Russian political analyst Dr Valery Solovey that Putin had died - and been replaced by a younger and fitter body double.

Yet in the past year, Putin has regularly travelled and mingled with people at official and unofficial events.

He also campaigned in a presidential 'election' widely seen as rigged so he could not lose.

His health appears to have been far stronger as he undertakes gruelling official itineraries, travelling far more than he did several years ago both within Russia and abroad.

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Last month it was revealed that Russian scientists had been ordered to handover details of their latest research in fighting ageing in a suspected bid to rejuvenate Putin and his circle of septuagenarian cronies.

Putin has long had an interest in anti-ageing but there now appears a new urgency to seek 'active longevity', it was reported.

The health minister may find himself in trouble after replying to Putin's comments by suggesting the dictator was an 'older' person.

'This year, I want to note that special vaccines with maximum protection against the flu virus have been prepared for older people,' said Murashko.

In May, there was a report that Putin has four doctors permanently on duty at his main official residence, Novo-Ogaryovo, which has a suite of ground floor medical rooms.

'There are constantly four doctors and 111 security guards on duty,' said VChK-OGPU which has links to the secret services.