Moscow has been accused of faking Russian President Vladimir Putin's attendance at an Orthodox Easter service over the weekend after pictures released by the Kremlin were strikingly similar to images from last year, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.
The Ukrainians have suggested that video and photos from the event were faked, possibly to cover up health problems suffered by Putin, according to the Mirror.
Critics point out that both this year and last, Putin was pictured alongside Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin at the capital's enormous gold-encrusted Christ the Saviour Cathedral, with both men apparently dressed exactly the same as last year.
The speculation comes after footage last week seemed to show Putin bloated and slouching when he met with his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who also seemed fragile and appeared to slur his words, the Daily Mail reported.
That also sparked rumors that Putin is suffering significant health problems.
Opposition investigative media Agentstvo added that during this year's footage of Putin attending the Easter ceremony, he "seemed to disappear for a moment during the switching of shots, from a close-up with the president to a more general one," with "the place where Putin should be seems to be empty."
In the video, the usually stoic and steadfast Putin was also shown grimacing, fidgeting, and biting his lip, which was interpreted by some as a sign of his state of mind during the war, while others have said that he may be suffering from Parkinson's disease, according to the Daily Mail.
"I am persuaded by a lot of medical advice that he is an ill man and the most persuasive diagnosis is that he has early Parkinson's," said former government defense and Nato adviser Professor Gwythian Prins. "I happen to live with a clinical neurological psychologist — my wife — who has spent 30 years dealing with people who have had degenerative brain diseases."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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