Vladimir Putin has long been the subject of illness rumours, with some experts suspecting he may have Parkinson's disease or cancer.
Speculation around the Russian despot's ill health began after eagle-eyed critics noticed his hands and knees were trembling, he appeared bloated and was suffering involuntary movements.
At 70, it's not out of the question the dictator may be experiencing some medical problems, although the truth about Putin's well-being has been kept under wraps by officials hoping to maintain the image of the tyrant's absolute power.
READ MORE: Sleuth 'proves' Putin is dead with key clues from moving mole to sagging chin
Here are the key signs Putin may not be as fit and healthy as his cronies claim โ and what conditions he may be suffering from.
Leaked documents
Documents viewed by The Sun in November 2022 claimed the Russian despot was suffering from Parkinson's and prostate cancer, and may also be receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer.
"I can confirm he has been diagnosed with early stage Parkinson's disease, but it's already progressing," a Russian security services insider claimed.
"This fact will be denied in every possible way and hidden.
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"Putin is regularly stuffed with all kinds of heavy steroids and innovative painkilling injections to stop the spread of pancreatic cancer he was recently diagnosed with.
"In his close circle, there are rumours that in addition to pancreatic cancer, which is gradually spreading, Putin also has prostate cancer."
Staircase fall
In December 2022, Putin reportedly tumbled down a flight of stairs at his Kremlin residence before involuntarily defecating.
The embarrassing moment, reported by local media in Russia, saw several bodyguards then help the ailing warlord to a sofa to recover from the incident.
Personal doctors came to help him and found he had bruised his coccyx, and allegedly discovered he had "cancer of the gastrointestinal tract," the Telegram channel General SVR reported at the time.
In a similar incident last September, the "frail" leader was seen leaning on Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan for support during a trade deal summit.
Another concerning incident saw the despot limp as he tried to lay flowers for Russia's national unity day in November last year.
The president appeared stiff as he presented the bouquet at the foot of a monument to two 17th-century war heroes in Moscow's Red Square after struggling to climb out of a limo.
Twitches and tremors
It's not just his bowel movements Putin appears unable to control โ the dictator also suffers from involuntary movements including twitches and tremors.
Footage released last year showed the Soviet ruler, who appeared bloated in the face, tapping his foot and gripping a table for support.
Putin, 69 at the time, appeared "feeble and barely able to hold himself upright", according to witnesses of the meeting with defence chief Sergei Shoigu on the siege of Mariupol.
Shaky purple hands
Putin's shaky hands and knees have been noticed on several occasions, and the dictator has even been seen clinging onto furniture for support.
In November, the former KGB agent attended a meeting with Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel where he was seen uncomfortably shuffling his feet and fiddling.
Purple blotches could also be seen on his mitts, indicating further unpleasant symptoms.
Another clip from April 2022 saw him greet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Kremlin โ but the Russian leader can be seen trembling as he goes to shake his ally's hand.
The footage also appears to show his knees buckling.
Bloating
Health experts have noted on several occasions that Putin appears "bloated" in some of his public appearances.
In May 2022, some said the president's head seemed puffy during a virtual meeting of Russia's security council, with conspiracy theorists even claiming his noggin had been artificially attached to his body.
Insiders reckon change may have been caused by a steroid treatment for cancer, while an investigation last April found Putin has a specialist thyroid cancer doctor by his side "constantly".
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