A new video emerged on Sunday that once again shows Russian President Vladimir Putin's deteriorating health as he is unable to use his right arm when he is attacked by mosquitoes. Putin is also seen in the new video limping as he walks next to the daughter of his defense minister Sergei Shoigu.
The incident took place at the same gathering where the Russian strongman signed a new military doctrine that accuses the United States of being Moscow's biggest threat. This comes amid fresh reports that Putin and his aides are currently preparing to leave Russia should their army be defeated in Ukraine.
Putin Unwell
The new video footage obtained on Sunday is from a weekend of celebrations for Russian Navy Day, during which Putin announced that the navy will get new hypersonic weapons. The video shows Putin, 69, being given a tour of a military museum as part of celebrations for Russia's Navy Day, which is observed on the last Sunday in July.
Putin is seen speaking with Ksenia, 31, the defense minister Sergei Shoigu's daughter when mosquitoes start flying around the right side of his face. While his right arm hangs limply at his side, Putin extends his left arm in an effort to swat them away.
He continues to itch and swat all around his head with one arm but is unable to shoo away the mosquito. Putin is then also seen stumbling along with what appears to be a limp while being followed by Shoigu's daughter along with her father, the video clip shows.
The video clip is the most recent in a long line of images purporting to show the Russian president struggling with strange ticks including foot and leg contortions and uncoordinated movement.
This video clip also at the same time proves that Putin, who is fond of his macho persona, may be hiding health issues.
Putin's Horrible Plans
According to reports, Putin is always accompanied by a medical support team when he travels within Russia or overseas. There have been reports – form Ukraine and elsewhere -- that body doubles are also sometimes used when Putin is unable to attend an event.
However, Putin made a clear threat to the West while boasting about Moscow's purported Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, according to Reuters, despite his apparent state of ill health.
The tyrant was evasive about where the arsenal would be located, saying it would depend on Russia's interests. "The key thing here is the capability of the Russian navy," Putin said.
"It is able to respond with lightning speed to all who decides to infringe on our sovereignty and freedom," he added.
The new doctrine he approved portrays Moscow's existence as being threatened by NATO's advance toward Russia. One of Putin's arguments for invading Ukraine in February was the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO.
The other supposed threat is "the strategic policy of the USA to dominate the world's oceans."
Putin's health appears to be deteriorating, and there has been much discussion about it recently. According to a number of reports, the autocrat may be dealing with Parkinson's disease and cancer.
Major-General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of military intelligence for Ukraine, claimed a lookalike was deployed when he landed in Tehran earlier this month.
He said: "Please look at the moment of Putin's exit from the plane. Is it Putin at all?"
The General SVR Telegram channel, which claims to be run by a former officer from Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, has long reported on Putin's alleged health issues. The channel recently also suggested that Putin is occasionally replaced for public appearances by a body double in times of particularly poor health.
The channel said that last week, on Friday and Saturday, Putin suffered from "severe nausea," with medical personnel stationed at his bedside for more than three hours.
On the heels of such claims, the same Telegram channel recently claimed that " Putin himself and his entourage are preparing plans for evacuation from Russia,' citing his awareness," citing his awareness of the "possibility of a sudden change in attitude in the country" due to his invasion of Ukraine.
Any plane carrying Putin and his family out of Russia is believed to be headed for the closest friendly country, the fellow dictatorship of Syria, whose leader, Bashar al-Assad, Putin bailed out by engaging in the Syrian civil war in 2015.
But any jet from Russia to Syria would have to pass through NATO member Turkey's airspace.
