Kremlin Deletes Video of Putin Struggling to Speak at Event 'Due to a Scratchy Throat'

Vladimir Putin was seen struggling through a recorded message for International Women's Day in Moscow last weekend after the Kremlin briefly posted an unedited video of the Russian president coughing, stopping mid-sentence, and referring to a scratchy throat before the clip was deleted and replaced with a shorter version.

The footage reportedly appeared on the Kremlin's Telegram channel and, in the version first published, Putin turned away from the camera and said, 'You know, let me say that again, because... my throat's a bit scratchy. Yes, a bit scratchy. I almost started coughing. I've been talking a lot today.'​

Putin has spent years cultivating an image of physical control and durability, so even a brief unscripted moment like this lands awkwardly. The 73-year-old went on to deliver the message for International Women's Day, a date with deep symbolic weight in Russia after it became a flashpoint in the 1917 Revolution, and the cleaned-up version was later posted without the coughing sequence.

Vladimir Putin Video Was Quickly Replaced

The original clip was taken down after it appeared online, and a replacement version from the presidential press service was uploaded without the false start, according to The Independent.

In the edited address, Putin returned to familiar ceremonial language. He praised women for their ability to 'captivate with beauty and charm while also showing diligence, determination, and resilience,' then added, 'A generous, compassionate, and truly wise feminine soul makes the world a better and kinder place, and a mother's love remains in every person's heart for life.'​

Ukrainian journalist Denys Kazansky, as per The Telegraph, suggested that the Kremlin 'leaked it on purpose because everyone is fed up with this ailing, senile old man.' Pro-Russian blogger Lev Vershinin also claimed that the clip may have been posted deliberately to undermine Putin's image.

'Anyone with even a passing understanding of the behind-the-scenes process will confirm that this shouldn't have been possible. They couldn't have failed to check before publishing it. In systemic terms, it looks like a revolt,' Vershinin reportedly wrote on Telegram.

However, Alexander Yushanev, a journalist from the Kremlin press pool, said no extraordinary inquiry was underway and dismissed the upload as a 'weekend mistake.' He also said, 'It's just a weekend mistake, which can happen to anyone,' adding that 'real people are working, not AI.'

Vladimir Putin Health Speculation Has Returned Again

The official explanation has done little to quiet speculation about Vladimir Putin's health, a subject that has been surrounded for years by unverified claims ranging from Parkinson's disease to various forms of cancer and neurological decline.

However, Western intelligence officials have continually insisted that Putin is not on death's door. The president, for his part, has publicly dismissed such rumors, saying exercise keeps him healthy and once claimed that a pal had described him as a 'cyborg.'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also portrayed him as unusually tireless, telling state media in September that Putin sleeps only a few hours a night and rarely takes holidays.

In a recorded exchange with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September, Putin spoke about the possibility that organ transplants could one day make people younger, perhaps even immortal.

'Human organs can be constantly transplanted, to the extent that people can get younger, perhaps even immortal,' Putin told Xi, which the Chinese leader responded with, 'By the end of this century, people may live to 150 years old.'

To recall, the Russian leader unveiled a national initiative called New Health Preservation Technologies in 2024, aimed at funding research into cellular ageing, neurotechnology, and other life-extension science. However, opposition outlet Meduza later cited a Moscow hospital source who dismissed the effort as 'the whims of an ageing Politburo.'

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has not commented on claims that the footage showing him coughing, pausing mid-sentence, and appearing unsteady was deliberately released to undermine him.