Is Vladimir Putin sick? His bloated hands with swollen veins spark rumours

During a recent press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin, 73, was seen trembling in pain; his hands appeared to be covered in bulging veins. His right hand looked sickly and withered, clenched tightly by his side, as he was standing next to a basketball hoop. His face appeared as if he were in considerable pain.

Pro-Ukrainian news outlet Nexta said, “Social media users are puzzled by what happened to the hands of the Russian dictator-they look extremely painful.” The news outlet was responsible for spreading the video online.

Anton Gerashchenko, a former Minister of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, in a post on Twitter said, “What's with Putin's hands in this video?”

Is Putin sick?

The Russian President had always portrayed himself as robustly healthy, with horseback riding, fencing and judo wrestling. Since 2024, there have been speculations about his deteriorating health, ranging from a neurological disorder to cancer. But the Kremlin has repeatedly denied such claims.

Last year in November, Vladimir Putin sat with his hands in a nearly motionless position for more than 20 minutes.

Notably, last year in October, Putin disappeared for two weeks without disclosing his whereabouts. The Kremlin had said that Putin had visited Moscow Central Clinic Hospital, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov telling a reporter from Tass, a Russian state news agency, that he went for "ordinary medical examinations.

"I was told that although these people did not know if Putin had cancer, they could confirm that he has Parkinson's disease," said Louise Mensch, an author and former member of the UK Parliament. She also claimed that it is progressing fairly rapidly and that Putin is forced to consult his doctor regularly.