A new video of Russian President Vladimir Putin has reignited global speculation about his health, after online observers highlighted the 73-year-old leader's clenched fists, trembling legs, and what were described as "bulging" veins in his hands. The footage, recorded last week during a visit to the city of Samara, showed the Russian president standing beneath a basketball hoop while speaking with a public health advocate regarding a proposed ban on e-cigarettes.
The images circulated widely across social media within hours, particularly among Ukrainian commentators who have tracked Putin's public appearances for signs of frailty. The pro-Ukrainian outlet Nexta wrote that "Social media users are puzzled by what happened to the hands of the Russian dictator - they look extremely painful," sharing zoomed-in clips of Putin's right hand, which appeared thinner and more wrinkled than in prior appearances.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former advisor to Ukraine's interior ministry, reposted the footage with the caption, "What's with Putin's hands in this video? Apart from the fact that they're covered in blood up to the elbows, his veins are bulging too." Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon told media outlets, "Putin clenches his hands into something resembling fists. They look swollen and sore, with veins bulging prominently on one hand."
Social media users offered amateur diagnoses ranging from circulatory issues to neurological disorders. One commentator wrote on X, "Putin, apart from being mentally sick, might also be physically sick." Another stated, "His hands are bloated with the veins very swollen," attributing the appearance to possible vascular disease.
Observers also pointed to a slight tremor in the president's legs as he stood during the discussion. One online viewer claimed, "His legs are shaking. I think he has difficulty standing for more than a few minutes. It looks like he suffers from some kind of health issues." Similar claims have surfaced periodically since 2022, when Putin appeared gripping a table during a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and again when his leg appeared to shake during a televised meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Medical experts have repeatedly cautioned that such analyses are speculative. Brief video clips, they note, cannot confirm conditions such as Parkinson's disease, cancer, or declining mobility. Nonetheless, the Kremlin has consistently rejected all speculation regarding the president's health, calling such reports "fake news" aimed at destabilizing Russia.
The scrutiny mirrors that surrounding President Donald Trump, whose hands have drawn attention in recent months for visible bruising. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the discoloration came from "tissue damage from frequent handshaking" while taking aspirin as part of a "standard cardiovascular prevention regimen."
