VLADIMIR Putin reportedly faked his own death in a bizarre bid to test his popularity among the Russian public.
The Kremlin was forced to issue an extraordinary denial after false reports the tyrant leader’s body was being kept in a freezer spread on social media last week.
kremlin.ruVladimir Putin allegedly faked his own death last month[/caption]
AFPIt comes amid rumours the Russian President is critically ill[/caption]
Now Kyiv has claimed the fake information was deliberately planted by Putin’s allies.
A Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman, Andrii Yusov, said the October 27 report of Putin’s death by the General SVR channel was a plot used by Moscow to tighten domestic control.
“In this way, the empire, which is built on the work of the secret services, learns how to continue to rule,” he told Ukrainian media.
The General SVR Telegram channel stated that the Russian President had suddenly died and his body was being kept frozen.
The channel is known for regularly uploading posts claiming the leader has died.
The full report from October 27 claimed: “Attention! There is currently an attempted coup in Russia!
“Russian President Vladimir Putin died this evening at his residence in Valdai at 20:42 Moscow time, doctors stopped resuscitation and pronounced death.
“Now the doctors are blocked in the room with Putin’s corpse, they are being held by members of the presidential security service on the personal orders of Dmitry Kochnev who is in touch and receives instructions from the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev.”
The incredible statement continued and spoke about what would happen next if the leader had really died.
It said: “Security for the president’s double has been beefed up.
“Active negotiations are underway.
“Any attempt to pass off a double as the president after Putin’s death is a coup.”
But Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov vehemently denied the rumours and told state media RIA Novosti that the report was an “absurd information canard”.
According to Yusov, this was all part of the Kremlin’s master plan.
“The basic purpose of fake news is to look at how society reacts in terms of numbers and dynamics,” he said.
“[The purpose is] to look at the reactions of individuals, the elite and the media,” he added.
Earlier this month Peskov also had to strongly deny rumours that Putin suffered a heart attack and reinforced that any reports of a doppelganger were false.
People have started to theorise that these fake reports are further evidence of an intense power struggle in Russia as the country struggles in its war with Ukraine.
But reports emerged earlier this year that Putin’s powerful inner circle, dubbed “The Ozeros” were plotting to bring him down and end the war once and for all.
Igor Girkin, a prominent Russian military blogger, claimed the once loyal group would target Russia’s Ministry of Defence, the FSB and other major government departments – and replace Putin.
And as Putin scrambles to maintain his rule, Girkin said his powerful inner circle now want to oust him – and bring in Sergey Kiriyenko, Putin’s chief of staff.
According to Russian outlet Meduza, Kiriyenko, 61, is already trying to position himself as a possible successor to Putin.
As well as reporting on Putin’s alleged deaths, the General SVR channel has also posted about several humiliations suffered by Putin.
According to a December 2022 report, the 71-year-old allegedly soiled himself after taking a tumble down some stairs.
The claims stated that Putin was helped to a sofa by bodyguards as his personal doctors rushed to assist him.
The Telegram channel was also one of the first to push the theory that Putin has been using body doubles since falling critically ill, as rumours swirl that the president has cancer.
In emails seen by The Sun Online in November 2022, a Russian intelligence source close to the Kremlin seemed to confirm that Putin had been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s and pancreatic cancer.
“I can confirm he has been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s disease, but it’s already progressing,” the Russian security services insider claimed in the email.
“This fact will be denied in every possible way and hidden.
“Putin is regularly stuffed with all kinds of heavy steroids and innovative painkilling injections to stop the spread of pancreatic cancer he was recently diagnosed with.
“It not only causes a lot of pain, Putin has a state of puffiness of the face and other side effects – including memory lapses.
“In his close circle, there are rumours that in addition to pancreatic cancer, which is gradually spreading, Putin also has prostate cancer.”
Political analyst Valery Solovey also claimed Putin is suffering from a number of serious illnesses – including cancer, Parkinson’s disease and a schizoaffective disorder.
Various footage of the tyrant has led to further speculation surrounding his health, including a clip of him greeting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Kremlin.
Released in April 2022, the warlord can be seen trembling violently in the clip as he goes to shake Lukashenko’s hand.
His knees also appear to buckle in the footage, which was viewed over a million times, as he goes to embrace his Belarusian counterpart.
He was also pictured with suspected track marks from IV treatment on the back of his hand – amid cancer rumours.
The General SVR Telegram channel, which once claimed to be fed information by a Kremlin insider, has now distanced itself from the Kremlin and instead claims to be authored by a former officer in Russia’s intelligence service.
ReutersThe Telegram channel has previously made claims that the Russian president had died[/caption]