Overview
- Footage released by the Kremlin from a Samara event shows Putin’s right hand visibly swollen with prominent veins and a clenched, tense grip during a brief handshake.
- The appearance occurred on a basketball court where he spoke with a health activist about banning electronic cigarettes.
- The clip spread widely on social media, with Ukrainian commentators including Anton Gerashchenko highlighting the condition of his hand.
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said Putin feels fine and dismissed reports of serious health problems as false.
- No confirmed medical diagnosis has been reported as this episode joins years of unverified speculation about his health, with some viewers also pointing to an apparent leg tremor in the new video.