Putin health fears explode with rumours Russian president 'soiled himself'

Vladimir Putin has been plagued by speculation around his ill health over recent months and years (Image: Getty)

Vladimir Putin's health has once again come under intense scrutiny, with rumours the Russian despot soiled himself after falling down a flight of stairs. Last night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky brutally predicted that Putin "will die soon, and that's a fact".

That comes following constant speculation that the 72-year-old has been plagued by serious issues. Putin's physical appearance during public outings and Kremlin meetings has attracted wild theories around his deteriorating health. Earlier this year, pictures showed him with red eyes and a bruise on his hand, but even more shocking over recent years, the Russian despot has been seen with a scar on his neck - sparking speculation he may have received treatment for thyroid cancer.

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Putin appears to limp in April amidst speculation over his health

Since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, reports have been circulating that he was regularly accompanied by a specialist cancer doctor.

During other instances, his legs also appeared to almost collapse from under him with other clips showing him tightly gripping tables during meetings and tapping his foot.

In 2022, the Kremlin was even forced to try and quash rumours shared by the General SVR Telegram channel claiming Putin had soiled himself after falling down a flight of stairs - reportedly defecating "involuntarily" due to "cancer affecting his stomach and bowels."

There has also been intense speculation that Putin's seemingly deteriorating health is a sign he could be suffering from Parkinson's.

Most strikingly, last October, the General SVR Telegram channel, which has frequently speculated about Putin's health, claimed he had suffered a "cardiac arrest."

In October, the Kremlin denied reports Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest (Image: Getty)

The channel alleged doctors resuscitated the Russian President before he was rushed to a special intensive care facility at his official residence.

General SVR Telegram claimed: "Doctors performed resuscitation, having previously determined that the president was in cardiac arrest

"Help was provided on time, the heart was started and Putin regained consciousness."

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quickly hit back at the claims, and said: "Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake [rumor].

"These [kinds of stories] belong to the category of fake news, discussed with enviable tenacity by a number of media outlets. This brings nothing but a smile [in the Kremlin]."