Strange footage shows Vladimir Putin’s legs twitching uncontrollably at a public event yesterday amid rumours he has Parkinson’s disease.
The 72-year-old Russian leader appeared unable to control his movements as he gave an hour-long speech at a podium in Astana, Kazakhstan.
In the clip, the twitching seems to start in his left foot before affecting both his legs and feet.
Putin then took a wider stance but continued to rock back onto his heels and move his legs.
The Russian leader has been plagued with rumours about his health in recent years – despite the Kremlin vehemently denying the claims.
Last week, Ukraine’s internal affairs spokesman Anton Geraschenko claimed during an eight-minute video address, Putin showed signs of serious health problems.
He said that the footage, in which Putin threatened the West with long-range missiles, appeared to have been manipulated, with his hands barely moving.
Analysts suggested the changes could have been made to hide the effects of Parkinson’s disease that causes the body to shake.
Commenting on the latest video, Gerashenko said: ‘I wasn’t sure about Putin’s hands.
‘But these legs and feet are definitely his. And the heels, too. That’s clear.’
It comes after Putin suffered mystery itching during a trip outside Moscow last month.
He was seen repeatedly rubbing and scratching his face and the back of his neck as he paid a visit to a new fencing centre in the city of Ufa.
The Russian dictator – who is believed to have undergone repeated botox treatments to mask his ageing – had been seen dealing with similar itches a day earlier in Moscow.
It followed reassurances from the Kremlin that there was nothing untoward with Putin’s health after the dictator disclosed he was having ‘all sorts of regular examinations’ in a top Moscow hospital.
Meanwhile in May, Putin looked off-colour at a conference with Belarusian ally Alexander Lukashenko today as the pair met to discuss the war in Ukraine.
The Russian president posed for cameras to shake hands with his counterpart in Minsk but appeared frail as he talked through developments in the conflict across the southern border.
Footage from official meetings has shown Putin gripping a table for support, tapping his feet, and looking unsteady as he walked, with his appearance becoming more rounded and puffy over the years.
And in February, footage emerged of Putin having to control a wandering leg during an interview with Tucker Carlson.
In the two-hour interview with the former Fox News host, Putin had to use his hand to calm his leg and stop it from moving.
The Russian president also coughed and cleared his throat several times while making bombshell claims such as Russia has superior ‘supersonic missiles’ to every other nation.
Some critics questioned Putin’s health ahead of the interview when the leader was pictured making grimaces during a meeting with Belarusian President Lukashenko on January 28, saying he appeared confused.
Last October, the General SVR Telegram channel, which regularly alleges Putin is terminally ill with cancer, alleged he suffered a ‘cardiac arrest.’
The channel said all recent appearances by the Russian dictator, including foreign visits, have been by a body double or doubles.
It claimed that doctors resuscitated Putin and he was taken to a special intensive care facility at his official residence.
‘Doctors performed resuscitation, having previously determined that the president was in cardiac arrest,’ reported the channel. ‘Help was provided on time, the heart was started and Putin regained consciousness.’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, ‘Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake [rumor].’
‘These [kinds of stories] belong to the category of fake news, discussed with enviable tenacity by a number of media outlets. This brings nothing but a smile [in the Kremlin].’
