Rumours continue about Putin’s health – with little to back them up

The rumours have spanned the gamut: Vladimir Putin is suffering from cancer or Parkinson's disease, say unconfirmed and unverifiable reports, the Russian leader has survived a coup attempt or, as some tabloids think, he is already dead and has been replaced by a body double.

Photographs of Putin meeting top aides are inspected in microscopic detail: is he gripping the table in pain during a meeting with defence minister Sergei Shoigu in late April? Is his puffy face a sign of steroid use, as former foreign secretary Lord Owen claimed in March?

As Russia's war in Ukraine enters its fourth month, reports suggest that Russia's leader may be ill. But that may be just wishful thinking for Putin's many critics, who appear ready to embrace conspiracy theories of divine vengeance or palace coups for his unrelenting assault on Ukraine.

In an interview on Sunday, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was forced to deny speculation that Putin was ill or dying, as the diplomat continued to defend Russia's assault on Ukraine.

"President Vladimir Putin appears in public every day," Lavrov said in an interview with French television. "You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his performances. I don't think that sane people can see signs of some kind of illness or poor health."

He said he left reports of Putin's poor health "on the conscience of those who spread such rumours".

On Monday, Putin spoke with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, and chaired a meeting of his security council. Both meetings were held remotely, as the Kremlin leader continues his coronavirus isolation. Aides and world leaders who have met Putin but have not quarantined have been forced to sit at a long table, dozens of metres away from the president.