Published: Just now
The Kremlin is fighting back against reports that Vladimir Putin fell down a flight of stairs and pooped on himself.
“We can say that this is completely untrue,” writes the president’s press department in an email to Newsweek.
This weekend, the Daily Mail and several other international media reported on information being spread on Russian social media.
They claimed Putin, 70, had fallen down a flight of stairs at his Moscow residence last Wednesday. He allegedly fell several steps, hit his tailbone and was helped by his bodyguards after involuntarily defecating.
The statement came from the Telegram account General SVR, which several times since the outbreak of war has published unconfirmed information about Putin’s health.
In May, the account wrote that Putin had been operated on for cancer, a statement that was further spread in the international media, including Aftonbladet.
General SVR is run by an anonymous person who claims to have sources inside the Kremlin. The Russian government has each time denied all claims and said Putin is healthy.
Even the latest Telegram publication about the alleged fall on the stairs is shot down by the Kremlin.
“Regarding your request, we can say that this is completely untrue,” writes Putin’s press department in an email comment to Newsweek.