'Vladimir Putin’s face is unrecognisably swollen – everybody can see that'

Refilwe Moloto interviewed Irina Filatova - history expert and emeritus professor at UKZN on the Russian president's health.

Vladimir Putin is seeing thyroid cancer specialist Yevgeny Selivanov, according to investigations by Russian-language news website Proekt. Various other publications from around the world are also claiming Putin is not in good health.

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According to Newsweek, Putin underwent treatment for cancer in April. However, the Kremlin maintains that the 69-year-old is a paragon of health.

"I don´t think that sane people can see in this person signs of some kind of illness or ailment,” said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with a French television station. "If you think that something is wrong with President Putin or something happened, you are, as we say, the most pitiful person on earth,” the minister added.

However, Irina Filatova - history expert and emeritus professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) told Refilwe Moloto that Putin's ill health is not a mere rumour. (scroll up to listen- skip to 3:49).

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These rumours have been circulating in Russia since 2018… People are speaking about cancer, Parkinson’s… It’s obvious that his face has become unrecognisably swollen. That is absolutely true. Everybody can see that…

Professor Irina Filatova, senior research fellow - UKZN

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