19 January 2023 , 11:06
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After a lull in rumours about Vladimir Putin's health, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed the debate - suggesting the tyrant may have even died.
Mr Zelensky urged allies to send more weapons to the Ukrainian army as he addressed world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
His appeal came while discussing potential peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow and commenting on yesterday's helicopter "tragedy" in Brovary, in which 18 people died.
While Kyiv hasn't blamed Russia, Zelensky said there are "no accidents" during conflict time.
But possibly the most eyebrow-raising comments of his speech came as he pondered his tyrannical counterpart's mortality.
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Rumours of Putin being in poor health have swirled since the start of the war, and some go back further than that (Getty Images)He said: "Right now I don’t understand who to talk to. I am not sure whether the president of Russia is still alive.
"I don’t understand that he’s still alive or that it is him particularly making decisions."
Though rumours of Putin's illness have been widely shared, there is no concrete evidence to suggest he's dead or even has a terminal illness.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a screen as he speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Russia experts say that in an attempt to cling to power, some of his cronies would be keen to cover up his death.
However, conspiracy theories about a body double replacing Putin have been around for at least a decade, as have reports of his declining health.
Some people believe that Putin was killed and replaced by a lookalike as early as the 2000s. They believe he has been running the show ever since.
Some say Putin's decision to launch his campaign of conflict on Ukraine was due to side effects from cancer drugs (Getty Images)The theories say the man we think of as Putin is simply a puppet figurehead, whose strings are pulled by wealthy oligarchs and other key politicians.
Rumours of Putin having a stroke trace back to the early days of his presidency around 2008.
In the same year, the Pentagon compiled a study claiming the despot suffered from Asperger's. A couple of years later, his mental health was questioned along with his apparent use of Botox after being seen with a black eye.
Zelensky paying tribute to fallen soldiers at the Field of Mars of Lychakiv Cemetery in the western city of Lviv (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)Following Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's postponement of a visit to Russia, citing Putin's "health problems", the rumour mill sprang into action again in 2012.
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But there have been more solid reports of health concerns in recent weeks and months since the start of the war that could be more reliable.
Earlier this year, Ukraine's chief of defence intelligence claimed the tyrant had been battling cancer for a "long time" and that he would die "very quickly".
Ukrainian tankers carry out maintenance (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, said sources close to the Kremlin leader confirmed that Putin, 70, was suffering from cancer.
The president of Russia has been sick for a “long time” and would die quickly, Mr Budanov said.
The claims come after Putin cancelled two public events towards the end of last year, including his annual state address and a visit to a tank-production factory.
Some say Putin's puffy face indicates that he's taking steroids or cancer treatment (Getty Images)Much of the speculation comes from Putin's puffy face seen during public appearances, which some say is due to cancer treatment or steroids.
In late December, a Russian oligarch closely tied to the Kremlin was recorded saying he's "very ill with blood cancer" and that he had surgery before ivnading Ukraine.
Despite persistent claims of his ill health, the Kremlin has repeatedly denied anything is wrong with him and say that he's in good health.