Russian President Vladamir Putin has no health problems, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov after the Russian leader visited a hospital recently.
Independent Latvia-based Russian publication Meduza reported on Wednesday that Peskov told a reporter from Tass, a Russian state news agency, that the 72-year-old’s visits to the Central Clinic Hospital were for “ordinary medical examinations” carried out for preventative purposes.
Putin has previously mentioned he regularly undergoes examinations at the Moscow hospital.
“Doctors at the Central Clinical Hospital, where I undergo all sorts of regular examinations, also recommend getting vaccinated with domestically produced drugs,” he told his health minister Mikhail Murashko during a televised session aimed at encouraging Russians to get flu vaccinations, The Daily Mail reported Thursday.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian government’s press service and information department for comment via email.
Rumors and theories have swirled about the health of the Russian leader, especially following his country’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. The “strongman” image he has long projected has faded in recent years.
U.S. intelligence leaders representing three separate agencies previously told Newsweek that Putin had been treated for advanced cancer in April 2022.
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The update on Putin’s health come as his army’s losses passed two grim milestones this week.
Ukraine’s military said on Thursday that Russia lost a total of 9,014 tanks since February 2022, including 17 over the previous 24 hours. Kyiv also said Moscow lost 33 armored personnel carriers between Wednesday and Thursday, bringing its total tally of Russian armored fighting vehicle losses to 18,002.
Newsweek could not independently verify Ukraine’s numbers at the time and reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
On Wednesday, Newsweek reported that more than $8 billion worth of Russian artillery has been destroyed in 2024 so far, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
In a series of posts on the ministry’s official X, formerly Twitter, page, it reported that 10,373 Russian artillery systems had been destroyed this year, which was “equivalent to the destruction of 144 artillery brigades.”
“One of the most significant days of losses for Russian forces occurred on September 22, when Ukrainian forces neutralized 81 artillery systems in a single day,” the ministry added.
Ukrainian authorities routinely publish updates on Russian losses. However, Russia does not publicize its military losses, and analysts are skeptical of reports released by both sides.
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