Putin’s Future Uncertain Amid Health Scare
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly nominated a hardline security official to replace him while he has cancer surgery.
Putin named security council security secretary Nikolai Patrushev, 70, to take over while he is incapacitated, said the popular General SVR channel on social networking site Telegram.
General SVR cited a ‘Kremlin insider’ over the weekend that the operation will happen “in the near future.”
Moscow did not confirm the report Sunday, but it comes weeks after an investigation showed Putin being accompanied by a doctor who specialized in thyroid cancer.
Surgeon Yevgeny Selivanov of Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital reportedly flew at least 35 times to meet the Russian in the Black Sea resort Sochi, Putin’s favorite place of residence.
The flight data were first reported last month by the respected media Project (or Proekt)- blocked in Russia and now functioning from abroad.
MEDICAL PROBLEMS
It backs recent suggestions by experts that Putin declared war on Ukraine while suffering medical problems hidden from the Russian people.
In recent days video footage emerged showing Putin seemingly suffering hand and leg tremors as he welcomed Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to a meeting in mid-February.
During the meeting, just days before he launched his invasion, Putin is seen holding one hand to his chest while the other is in a fist.
That underscored concerns he may have Parkinson’s disease, though Western medical experts cautioned the trembling might have other medical reasons.
General SVR channel also claimed Putin suffers a schizoaffective disorder, marked by hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania.
Years of extensive self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic reportedly impacted Putin’s thinking.
KREMLIN DENIAL
The Kremlin has always vehemently denied Putin, 69, is ill. Bit critics conclude that his mysterious disappearances, long tables, and sometimes bloated, trembling appearance may prove otherwise.
His decision to select politician and security officer Patrushev to ‘control’ Russia in his absence could mark another chapter in an already difficult era, Worthy News learned.
Patrushev, 70, is seen as a key architect of the Ukrainian war strategy and the man who convinced Putin that neo-Nazis ruled Ukraine.
Reports questioning Putin’s health come amid concerns the frail embattled leader will call up potentially millions of troops.
Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the Russian president might use Russia’s annual victory day parade on May 9 to announce the mass mobilization of his reserves for a final push in Ukraine.
Russia’s military suffered setbacks in Ukraine but recently advanced in the country’s East.
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.