Russian President Vladimir Putin Has Cancer – Opinion

Rumors regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s health have been making their rounds amid the invasion of Ukraine. According to a new report, Putin has been diagnosed with cancer. While undergoing the surgery, he will be able to hand power over to a former chief of federal police.

A shadowy Telegram channel called “General SVR” published a video on Saturday claiming Putin was told he must have an operation. The channel is believed to be run by a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service lieutenant with the pseudonym “Viktor Mikhailovich.” The Russian president is expected to be out of action for “a short time” according to the video.

Putin is expected to transfer his authority to Nikolai Patrushev (ex-FSB chief), who is known for being a conservative. He is also believed to be the person who convinced Putin that Ukraine’s military is run by Nazis.

“Putin is unlikely to agree to hand over power for a longer period of time,” the narrator of the video explained. He said that Patrushev would likely only remain in power for two or three days.

“I will say that this is the worst option,” the speaker said. “Patrushev is an outright villain. Vladimir Putin is worse than him. He is also a cunninger and, I would argue, more perspicacious person than Vladimir Putin. If he comes to power, Russians’ problems will only multiply.”

The Russian president’s recent appearances have elicited rumors that he could be suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s disease, or a series of other ailments. The insider said his cancer has been progressing but stopped short of making any definitive claims because he did not wish to give viewers “false hope.”

The insider claimed that Putin’s cancer is progressing, but darkly quipped that he doesn’t want to give viewers “false hope.”

In a post on Thursday, SVR General said Putin and Patrushev had a two-hour “heart-to-heart” discussion. “We know that Putin signaled to Patrushev that he considers him to be practically his only trusted ally and friend in the government,” the author claimed. “Additionally, the president promised that if his health takes a turn for the worse, actual control of the country will temporarily pass into Patrushev’s hands.”

Since November last year, Telegram has maintained that Putin is suffering from bowel cancer. Proekt reported another Russian language news source that the Russian leader was visited by a leading thyroid surgeon several times. Putin is not suffering from any health problems, as the Russian government repeatedly denies.

If the report is true, this development doesn’t exactly come at an opportune moment for the Kremlin. Russia is suffering heavy losses from the invasion now in its third month. It does not seem that Moscow will win anytime soon.