The discussion regarding the health of Russian President Vladimir Putin has once again intensified. In a leaked video, the Russian President is seen coughing uncontrollably during his speech. This video is from the occasion of International Women’s Day on Sunday (8 March). When Putin was seen coughing loudly during a recording, questions were raised about his health.
In the video, he stopped speaking and coughed continuously for about 30 seconds. He talked about having a sore throat and said, “I have spoken a lot today, so my throat is sore.” His cough was so severe that they had to stop the recording and start again. An aide offered to fetch water off-camera, but Putin declined and said, “No, let’s continue. Let’s get to work.”
The Kremlin accidentally released this unedited video, in which Putin was clearly visible coughing. After a few minutes it was removed and an edited video was released, in which an attempt was made to minimize the coughing. But the unedited clip went viral on the internet.
In the video, Putin was speaking while addressing the women, but in between he started having a severe cough. The cough is so severe that he cannot complete his speech and the recording has to be stopped. “Let me say it again, because I have a sore throat. I’ve talked so much today, I almost coughed,” he is heard saying in the video.
Putin himself linked coughing to speaking too much and called it normal. Even before this, rumors have surfaced many times regarding Putin’s health. Many such incidents have come to light in recent times. Black spots were seen on his right hand. In some meetings, complaints like cramps or swelling in his hands were seen. But 73-year-old Putin has long been trying to create an image of a strong and young leader.