Vladimir Putin has been pictured repeatedly carrying out an action which has sparked further rumours about his health – after the leader displayed strange behaviour during a public appearance
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was spotted uncontrollably scratching his face and back after a string of hospital examinations.
The bizarre action has sparked health concerns for the 72-year-old president following a trip outside of Moscow. During the day out, he was repeatedly be seen itching himself when he met up with sports officials in the city of Ufa. The leader was also seen rubbing the back of his head during his visit to a new fencing centre.
It comes a day after the Kremlin disputed claims that Putin is in ill health. Russian state media also announced that he had “no health problems” after his spokesperson said his hospital appointments were “routine”. Putin, who is thought to have underwent cosmetic botox treatments to slow down his ageing, was seen itching a day earlier before the event.
His health concerns are toppled by paranoia over his safety, which has seen kids miss out on their education. Major security measures were put in place ahead of the Kremlin leader’s visit. Children in the city were ordered not to go to school for two days, and instead to undergo pandemic-style online classes from home. Some schools gave the reason as the risk of viral infections in the city.
Yet others said it was because Putin was present for the ‘Russia — a Sports Power’ forum, during which he was seen meeting Paralympians, complaining they were banned from international contests because the sport had been “politicised” by the West. If there was a risk of the spread of viral infections, it seems odd Putin plunged into a seemingly random crowd in Ufa, which is the capital of the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan. “From the teachers, thank you,” blurted one female admirer as Putin went on his rare walkabout.
The Kremlin leader complained that children from poor families were being excluded from sport in Russia because parents were expected to pay – unlike in the Soviet era. He demanded a return to the USSR system of free access to op training for all talented children.
“I’ll tell you honestly, if I had to pay for everything when I was actively involved in sports, I would never have become a USSR Master of Sports in Sambo [a Russian martial art], and would never have achieved the standard of a Master of Sports of the Soviet Union in Judo. My family didn’t have an extra penny to pay for everything. But we need to sort this out properly. There should be no fees at all for low-income and large families.”
