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Vladimir Putin Photo: Reuters
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A secret recording cast new doubts on the Russian president’s health
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “very ill with blood cancer.” These words of an unnamed Russian oligarch appeared in a secret recording published by the American publication New Lines, which specializes in covering Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The publication claims that they have confirmed the identity of the oligarch and the authenticity of the voice and the recording, but will keep his name a secret.
In the same recording, the oligarch also says that Putin underwent back surgery in October.
“Everyone hopes Putin will die of cancer or a coup,” the oligarch said in the 11-minute recording. In it, man openly opposes Russia’s war against Ukraine. The oligarch called Putin a “crazy man” who ruined the economies of Russia and Ukraine.
The news continues speculation about the health of the Russian dictator. During the May 9 parade in Moscow, Putin was limping and sitting with a blanket on his lap. A Russian newspaper recently reported that Putin has thyroid cancer and has been visited by an oncologist frequently.
According to the publication, the oligarch was once part of a “narrow circle of 20 to 30 people” that Putin met in 2014 before the annexation of Crimea. The publication states that the man is currently outside Russia, and in 2021 he was included in the list of the 200 richest businessmen of the Russian “Forbes”.
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