Overview

• Massimo D'Alema recounts seeing Vladimir Putin in mid‑September in Beijing appearing very tired and being supported by two people during events marking 80 years since World War II’s end.
• D'Alema’s description contrasts with official ceremony footage that showed no obvious distress, and there is no independent verification of any illness.
• Kremlin practices to shield medical data remain a focus, including reports that FSB teams collect the leader’s biological waste during foreign trips, documented since at least 2019.
• U.S. and British intelligence have publicly stated they do not have evidence of a serious condition, though agencies continue to study available indicators.
• A hot‑mic exchange in Beijing captured Putin and Xi discussing biotechnology and radically extended lifespans, feeding public scrutiny of the Russian leader’s image and health narrative.