BIZARRE footage has captured Vlad wearing ear muffs upside down at a shooting range, adding to longstanding speculation his health is declining.
The Russian president was standing alongside Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov amid Ukraine’s invasion of Kursk.
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The pair watched on as Kadyrov’s controversial son Adam, 16, showed off his shooting skills.
But what caught the eye instead was Vlad strangely wearing his ear muffs the wrong way.
Rumours have long swirled over the health of the president, who is older than UK pensioners at 71.
In January, he looked mad-eyed during a meeting with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko in St Petersburg.
One of the most compelling elements of the evening was the bizarre gurning faces Putin pulled while next to Lukashenko.
In December, the Russian president left many scratching their heads as he refused to stand within 70ft of Britain’s new ambassador to Moscow for “sanitary reasons” at a diplomatic ceremony.
In a similar scene at the peak of the Covid pandemic, Putin was pictured standing metres away from other officials.
Putin told those in attendance: “Unfortunately, for sanitary reasons, we cannot talk more, socialise.
“I hope that better times will come, not only in politics but also in healthcare, and we will be able to do so.”
Russian blogger Rustem Adagamov mocked the tyrant wearing his muffs upside down with an online post.
It said: “Why does Putin put headphones on his head like this at the shooting range?
“Because his hairdo is a long procedure, when the hairdresser has to style the sparse hairs so that it is not visible that the Russian president is already completely bald.
“And headphones will ruin all the beauty.”
Health rumours have also swirled regarding Kadyrov, 47, who is a father of 15.
The regional leader of Chechen, categorised as a republic of Russia, appears to have lost weight and was seen walking awkwardly alongside Vlad.
He has appointed multiple members of his family to key positions in government.
The hawkish regional leader is sanctioned by the West over human rights abuses.
Some reports have said Kadyrov is terminally ill from “pancreatic necrosis”, requiring regular treatment at the Kremlin in Moscow.
“Chechen prince” Adam, despite being only 16, enjoys the role of favoured son.
Vlad attending the range and applauding him for his shooting prowess is a strong sign of his standing in Russian circles.
Putin’s rumoured health issues
But Putin’s day out came while his troops continued to fight a fierce defence of Kursk as Ukraine advances.
Kyiv forces on Monday destroyed a third bridge in four days in what was seen as a daring bid to cut off enemy troops and seize another massive slice of Russian land.
Ukraine has taken out the vital crossings over the River Seym to the west of its surprise Kursk invasion.
The river is about 15km from the Ukrainian border and Russia currently holds the 550sqkm area south of it.
Ukraine hit the bridges at Glushkovo and Zvannoe over the weekend, with Russian blogs saying a third was struck at Karyzh.
Professor Michael Clarke told The Sun that Ukraine destroying the bridges left Russian troops cut off and in “mortal danger”.
In a comical twist to the invasion, Vlad has ordered Russian living near the border to stop using dating apps amid spying fears.
He thinks Kyiv will harvest the personal data stored on the lonely hearts sites to use during its invasion of Russia.
It comes as Ukraine attacked Moscow yesterday with at least 11 drones in what Russia said was one of the biggest strikes on its capital since the war began.
Officials said a total of 45 drones were shot down over Russian territory.
President Putin’s Department for Combating Illegal Use of Information Technology issued the dating app ban to those in Russian regions Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk.
Ukraine currently occupies about 440 square miles of Kursk following its counter invasion launched on August 6.
Attack of the drones
Russia’s capital has come under one of the largest attacks by Ukraine drones so far following Kyiv’s daring Kursk siege.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence says it destroyed 45 Ukraine drones overnight.
It said that 11 were destroyed over the Moscow region, 23 over the Bryansk region, six over Belgorod, three over Kaluga and two over Kursk.
Plumes of smoke could be seen billowing into the sky in the attack.
Other footage showed flashes of light followed by explosions.
Moscow’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Russian Telegram: “This was one of the biggest attempts of all time to attack Moscow using drones.”
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