Putin’s ‘swollen and sore’ hand sparks new wave of speculation over Russian president’s health

Russian President Vladimir Putin displayed a “swollen and sore” hand that appeared covered in bulging veins during a recent press conference, igniting new speculations over his health.

Putin, whose right hand has been a source of health rumors over the years, was spotted clenching his hand tightly in discomfort during an event in which the 73-year-old addressed a crowd of loyalists on a basketball court.

The images sparked fresh speculations that the Russian dictator has been fighting a serious illness, with online sleuths claiming Putin had everything from Parkinson’s to cancer.

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“There’s something wrong with Putin’s hands,” Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to the Ukrainian interior ministry, told East2West.

“Apart from the fact that they’re covered in blood up to the elbows, his veins are bulging too,” he added while taking a shot at Putin’s relentless invasion of Ukraine.

Many other Ukrainians were quick to hop on the speculation, with media personality Dmytro Gordon telling the outlet that Putin’s hands appeared “swollen and sore, with veins bulging prominently on one hand.”

Putin’s hands became the subject of discussion during the first year of the Ukraine war, when a black spot appeared on the Russian leader’s hands during a military visit, while other photos claimed to show signs of numerous IV marks on his hands.

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Putin has also been seen grabbing hold of tables while speaking, with his hands otherwise twitching, which many claim is further proof of Parkinson’s.  

The Kremlin has never confirmed any of the health rumors that are circulating about Putin.

The Russian leader isn’t alone in facing online scrutiny over images of his hand. Earlier this year, President Trump became the focus of online health sleuths after he was pictured with similar dark bruises.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt quickly shot down the rumors, saying the bruising was caused by the president’s “frequent handshaking.”

Putin’s health also made headlines after he was caught on a hot mic talking with China’s President Xi Jinping on the prospects of immortality through the help of organ transplants and biotechnology.