The appearance of Vladimir Putin’s hands in his latest public appearance has reignited debate about the state of the Russian leader’s health.
Viewers noticed ‘bulging veins’ and a ‘swollen’ look on the 73-year-old’s fists, which he kept clenched in an odd position during a meeting with the chair of a Russian youth sports programme.
The skin on his hands also appeared considerably more wrinkled and discoloured than on other parts of his body.
Footage of the moment sparked speculation on social media, with some arguing it could be another sign of a neurological condition such as Parkinson’s.
Ukrainian TV host Dmytro Gordon said: ‘Putin clenches his hands into something resembling fists.
‘They look swollen and sore, with veins bulging prominently on one hand.’
Former Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko commented: ‘There’s something wrong with Putin’s hands.
In a jibe at the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine, Gershchenko added: ‘Apart from the fact that they’re covered in blood up to the elbows [from his killing in the war], his veins are bulging too.
Some commenters said the state of his hands appeared ‘extremely painful’.
Though others argued it was in line with the normal pattern of aging.
The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed any suggestions their leader is in another other than perfect health as ‘hoaxes’.
Over the previous year he has been spotted wobbling or swaying during public appearances and gripping onto things to steady himself.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
One major turning point was a televised podium speech in Astana, Kazakhstan, when his legs began to jerk around involuntarily.
Such incidents have led doctors in the West to speculate Putin could have a number of diseases, though there is no consensus on the matter.
Andrey Pertsev, special correspondent with Russian anti-war investigative group Meduza, has argued Putin may also be showing signs of mental deterioration.
One recent gaffe saw Putin pause in the middle of an address about global warming to tell an anecdote about how, when drinking sake with a Japanese politician, they began talking about the quality of Japanese sperm.
‘In recent months, Putin’s appearances have regularly included strange and sometimes inappropriate pronouncements peppered with impolite expressions’, Pertsev wrote in August.
‘He tries to make jokes, indulges in reminiscing and embarks on long, entirely unnecessary historical digressions.’
Pertsev is one of a number of commentators who argue Putin ‘clearly undergoes regular plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures’.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.