Russian state news has hastily deleted footage of Putin after it showed what looked like “track marks from IVs” [intravenous therapy]on the back of the autocrat’s hand. The film, released and subsequently retracted by Zvezda News, showed Putin firing a rifle before greeting soldiers. As he pats one of them on the shoulder, the marks on his right hand become visible. It comes as rumors continue to circulate that the Russian tyrant is suffering from a rare cancer and Parkinson’s – and is traveling with an entourage of medics.
The Kremlin has released two videos of the event, one with watermarks, partially obscuring the tracks, and the other without any shot from his hand.
A special correspondent for the Kyiv Post, Jason Jay Smart, posted the video to Twitter with some screenshots of Putin’s apparently injured hand.
Alongside the photos, he posted the following caption: “Videos released by the Russian government news show what could be traces, of IVs, of Putin’s hand.”
But social media users were torn as to whether the signs were in fact evidence of IV use.
One user described the claims as a “big chunk”, while another suggested IVs don’t leave marks because the areas they’re inserted into are constantly changing.
One wrote: “Come on. That’s a big chunk. This could be the way the light plays with shadows, it could be camera artifacts, or these natural changes in the veins of this 70-year-old man.”
Another user wrote: “Oh, I doubt that. I get IVs once a week and have been doing it for 18 months.
“They rotate sites and the needles can leave a bruise, but I have no traces. The hands are also not the best choice.”
But some users were convinced by the video, with one arguing that the markings looked like “sclerotic veins from multiple IV catheters.”
Another user commented on the movement of Putin’s right arm, saying: “The right arm that doesn’t naturally swing for balance has been consistent since the beginning of the war now. It is often a sign of Parkinson’s or dementia.”
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Putin, along with his defense minister Sergei Shoigu, visited a Russian military training facility in the Ryazan region to meet soldiers and try out a newly developed sniper rifle when the footage was taken.
He was seen wearing earmuffs and goggles while lying under a net, firing several shots from the Russian SVD sniper at a target about 300 yards away.
He was also filmed speaking to officers, shaking hands and wishing them “good luck.”
According to Russian state media, the autocrat was “observing practical exercises” at the facility, including fire drills, technical and medical training.
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