Putin’s public appearances ‘were staged using old footage used to fool the world’ – World News

Footage captured much earlier was used in video appearances for several meetings, sources said, as speculation about the Russian president’s health mounted

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A bloated Putin is hosting a virtual meeting of the Russian Security Council

Vladimir Putin’s public appearances last week were “staged” to cover up his absence from duty – sparking fresh speculation about his health, an opposition source has claimed.

It was alleged that video appearances for multiple meetings used pre-recorded footage that had been recorded much earlier.

The mysterious General SVR Telegram Channel claims that aide Nikolai Patrushev – a former FSB chief – is now in virtual control of the Kremlin.

He is receiving top-level briefings that would normally go directly to Putin, they say.

The same body has previously claimed that doctors ordered Putin to undergo surgery related to a cancer and predicted his temporary disappearance despite the war in Ukraine.

In its most recent post, the channel, which claims inside information from the Kremlin, said key figures believe Putin is terminally ill, which has changed the dynamic in Russia.

His absence “since Tuesday” cannot be verified, but the channel said its staff “show recorded videos of its meetings”.

Face-to-face meetings with Rostech chief Sergei Chemezov and Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev are said to have taken place on Wednesday and Thursday, but these are said to have taken place earlier and been saved to give the impression that Putin was active.

It was unclear whether Putin’s virtual Security Council appearance on Friday was also considered “staged”.

In it, Putin claimed the West was trying to hack key Russian government websites.

The Post didn’t make it clear whether his alleged absence was due to surgery or some other reason.

Putin kept a low profile over the weekend as Russian forces stepped up attacks on Ukraine.

Nur Patrushev — Secretary of the Security Council and a staunch Putin ally for the war — currently maintains official communications with the president, the channel said.

“Let’s see how long this lasts, but the situation is getting tense,” General SVR said.

“The fact is that the elites are not ready to perceive Patrushev as a person who guarantees the current status quo.

“Everyone is aware that if Vladimir Putin retires suddenly or gradually, the situation will change radically.”

Putin “is ill and has diseases that are incurable, such as oncology, which is at a stage that cannot be cured today, Parkinson’s disease, and schizoaffective disorder.”

The Russian leader “is certainly receiving the most advanced and innovative treatment and he has the ability to extend his life, there is no doubt about that”.

However, it was unclear when his condition might worsen.

“There’s a general feeling, including among the treating physicians, that this won’t last very long,” the Post said.

“But again, we have already said that many people think that Putin is going to die now and something will change radically.”

There are people in government who are willing to “sabotage” attempts to continue Putin’s repressive style of government after he was forced to resign.

Ukraine’s victory in the war would trigger this process.

“There are people [ in positions of power] willing to help big changes,” the post said.

This could include the release of “political prisoners” like Putin-enemy Alexei Navalny.

“Everyone in the elite is aware of what the death of the President will lead to.

“There will be a major redistribution, there are no guarantees for either the soldiers or the security forces. Simply not.”

The anti-Putin channel’s regular claims about his medical problems are allegedly based on “intelligence information” from an exiled Kremlin lieutenant-general insider known by the pseudonym Viktor Mikhailovich.

It recently claimed that fluid was removed from Putin’s abdomen, which could indicate serious medical problems, but there was no official confirmation.

The channel is also linked to political analyst Professor Valery Solovey, who claims to have detailed knowledge of Putin’s alleged health problems.

Solovey – who boasts of secret sources in the Kremlin – said in an interview with Zhivoi Gvozd’s YouTube channel: “It is an undeniable fact that [Putin] has a whole bunch of pretty serious diseases.”

The US filmmaker, who spent many hours with Putin making documentaries about him, claimed that Putin used to have cancer that he “licked,” which, if true, the Kremlin has not admitted.

Putin, who turns 70 in October, recently missed an annual ice hockey game that is usually a regular fixture on his schedule.

Last year he said about playing ice hockey: “You extend your life, you make it more valuable and deeper.”

The channel said: “The victory over the Putin regime will bring not only peace, but also the prosperity of Russia, therefore, paradoxically, the victory of Ukraine will lead to the collapse of the Putin regime and, accordingly, to the liberation of Russia [and] all citizens of the Russian Federation who … are ready to live freely and develop without being restricted by this criminal regime.”

At the Online Security Council meeting, Putin was shown complaining that Russia was under attack from Western hackers.

“Since the special military operation in Donbass and Ukraine … Russia has essentially become the target of aggression, information warfare,” he said.

“The number of cyber attacks, including complex attacks, has multiplied.

“Experts believe that this would not be possible for individual hackers.

“Hackers are attacking from different countries in a well-coordinated effort…carried out by state structures…

“We know that some countries’ armies officially include cyber troops.

“Targeted attempts to disable online resources of critical information infrastructure in Russia have been detected.

Media companies, financial institutions and mainstream public websites and networks have been hit hardest

“Official government websites have come under heavy attack.

“Attempts to attack the company networks of large Russian companies are detected much more frequently.”