Russian President Vladimir Putin could be planning to hand over power as rumours of ill health grow, it's been claimed.
The 69-year-old is alleged to be due to undergo surgery, possibly for cancer, according to alleged leaks from within the Kremlin.
It comes after Telegram channel General SVR - allegedly run by an ex-Russian Foreign Intelligence Service lieutenant general - said the despot has been informed by doctors the operation will incapacitate him "for a short time".
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And as such he will supposedly briefly hand over the reigns of power to an aide.
There has been no official confirmation in relation to Putin being in ill health.
However, recent public appearances - as his troops continue his barbaric invasion of Ukraine - show him looking shaky and puffy-faced.
It has led to speculation he may be suffering from multiple conditions, including dementia or Parkinson's.
Some believe it could all be a ploy by Moscow, considering how tight Putin's Government controls the country's media output.
The Telegram channel, believed to be operated by someone using the pseudonym 'Viktor Mikhailovich', is said to have released a video claiming the President had a two-hour "heart-to-heart" with aide Nikolai Patrushev.
Also secretary of Russia ’s security council and previously chief of the Federal Security Service, he is said to be being lined up to temporarily replace Putin for a matter of days, reports the New York Post.
The President is also said to have “made it clear” to Patrushev that he views him as “almost the only truly confidant and friend in the system of power".
Theresa Fallon, founder and director of the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies (CREAS) in Brussels, told The Independent: “I would say there is a great deal of speculation about President Putin’s health.
“[Mr Putin] has always tried to emphasise his fitness and vigour, which is part of his brand.
"Illness does not fit with Putin’s strong man narrative that has been carefully cultivated over the years by the Kremlin.
"This makes me wonder if there is really something else going on behind the scenes."
Last week a video surfaced of Putin seemingly struggling to mask his shaking hand as he greeted Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
The rumours of ill health come after State-owned television channel Russia-1 broadcast a mock-up clip showing Russia wiping out Ireland with a nuclear weapon.
The clip was introduced by Dmitry Kiselyov, a close associate of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Mr Kiselyov speaks in the video of an attack on the “British Isles” as footage plays of the islands of Ireland and Britain being wiped off the map by a nuclear weapon.
Another clip shows Mr Kiselyov discussing Russia using a nuclear underwater drone, an experimental Russian weapon, to “plunge the British Isles into the depths of the sea.”
The clip has been slammed by the Irish government with the Taoiseach labelling the clip "worrying".
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