HIDING OUT
THE internet is awash with claims Vladimir Putin has used a green screen to fake his latest TV appearance after his hand was seen "going through a microphone".
The viral clip comes amid heightened speculation around the Kremlin despot's health and whereabouts.
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The video, posted on Reddit on Saturday under the title "Green Screen Detected!", shows Putin at a table with air hostesses when he appears to wave his hand through a microphone.
The video was quickly debunked and later deleted and flagged by moderators as "misinformation", but not before it gathered quite a bit of hype online.
Russia has a history of producing doctored propaganda videos and was believed to have used one to justify its recent invasion of Ukraine, according to AP.
It has also shuttered many independent media outlets across the country and has called on state-run channels not to call the incursion a war or invasion.
The visual phenomenon has been explained as a technical glitch known as "generation loss".
This occurs when a video is repeatedly uploaded or sent via a messaging service, which causes it to lose quality.
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But the clip has little to abate reports that Putin has become "unhinged" and is becoming increasingly isolated.
It's thought the Russian leader's decision to invade Ukraine might have been sparked by not only his poor mental state, but also by a worrying physical health condition.
Putin, 69, was described as "ashen and bloated" in pictures released by the Kremlin.
Just this week he was pictured a good distance away from his military advisors.
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And apart from this weekend's appearance with Aeroflot stewardesses, Putin has mostly remained out of the limelight since he ordered an invasion of Ukraine 11 days ago.
The Russian president, normally cutting a rugged and manly figure, looked pale and unfit in recent photos as his forces pounded Ukraine’s cities.
Putin is tight-lipped about his health - but there has been much speculation over the years.
Researchers even claimed they identified signs in Putin's gait which could point to Parkinson's disease.
There are even claim the evil tyrant has cancer and was rushed into hospital for emergency surgery in February 2020.
The Kremlin has issued a firm denial of claims that Putin has any illness.
It comes as:
- Boris Johnson is to present a six-point plan of action to world leaders on how to deal with Putin
- Ukraine claims it has now killed 11,000 Russian soldiers as yesterday nine of Putin's aircraft were shot down
- Putin issued a direct threat to the UK as he raged at sanctions "akin to a declaration of war"
- SAS and US commandos are reportedly training for a rescue mission to save President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Visa and Mastercard suspended operations in Russia dealing Putin another major blow
- Cancer-stricken kids are trapped in war-torn Ukraine - as doctors tell them the bombs are just fireworks
- Heartbreaking pictures show the extent of Ukraine's refugee crisis - with 1.5million fleeing for their lives
- British firms helping Putin's henchmen must face the full force of the law, said David Davis MP
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "He is in excellent health."
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But the claims of a battle with cancer by the Russian President have not been confirmed or denied.
Putin self-isolated in September 2021, after several people close to him got Covid.
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