Vladimir Putin's 'Clenched Fists' And 'Bulging Veins' Spark Health Fears

Clenched fists. Trembling legs. Veins bulging from 'shrivelled' hands. These are not descriptors from a medical report, but from a new video of Russian President Vladimir Putin that has once again set the internet ablaze with health rumours, fuelling long-standing speculation about his fitness to rule.

The footage, captured at a conference in Russia last week, shows the 73-year-old leader standing stiffly beneath a basketball hoop.

The video was reportedly filmed in the city of Samara as Putin spoke with a health campaigner about banning e-cigarettes. His right hand appeared notably thin and wrinkled, but it was the tightly clenched fists and pronounced, bulging veins that drew immediate and sharp commentary.

Observers Dissect President Vladimir Putin's 'Painful' Appearance

Observers, particularly from Ukraine, were quick to dissect the president's appearance.

'Social media users are puzzled by what happened to the hands of the Russian dictator — they look extremely painful', reported the pro-Ukrainian news outlet Nexta, sharing the footage.

Anton Gerashchenko, a former advisor to Ukraine's interior ministry, amplified this concern. 'What's with Putin's hands in this video?', he questioned. 'Apart from the fact that they're covered in blood up to the elbows, his veins are bulging too.'

This sentiment was echoed by Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon, who remarked to a news outlet, 'Putin clenches his hands into something resembling fists. They look swollen and sore, with veins bulging prominently on one hand.'

The online chatter on X (formerly Twitter) quickly turned to amateur diagnostics. 'Putin, apart from being mentally sick, might also be physically sick', one user wrote. Another speculated that 'his hands are bloated with the veins very swollen,' suggesting a possible circulatory or neurological condition.

Trembling Legs Fuel More Speculation About President Vladimir Putin

It was not just his hands that drew scrutiny. In addition to the state of his fists, online commenters pointed out that President Vladimir Putin's legs appeared to tremble slightly as he stood.

This observation fuelled theories that he may have difficulty remaining upright for extended periods. '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,' one person alleged.

This is not the first time his movements have been intensely analysed. Past clips showing him gripping a table during a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu or appearing to have a shaking leg while meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have all previously sparked similar rumours.

This specific detail immediately sparked comparisons to symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. However, medical experts have repeatedly and consistently warned that such armchair diagnoses, based on short video clips alone, are highly unreliable and cannot confirm any specific medical condition.

As always, the Kremlin has denied all such claims. For years, officials have forcefully dismissed persistent reports of serious illness, from cancer to Parkinson's, as 'fake news' intended to sow panic.

Scrutiny of President Vladimir Putin Mirrors Donald Trump's Health Questions

This intense, granular analysis of President Vladimir Putin's physical state mirrors the similar scrutiny that often surrounds President Donald Trump, whose own hands have frequently drawn attention for visible bruising or red marks.

In that case, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Trump's skin discolouration to 'tissue damage from frequent handshaking' while taking aspirin, describing it as part of a 'standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.'

While the true state of President Vladimir Putin's health remains a closely guarded secret, this latest sighting has successfully reignited the global guessing game, all despite the Kremlin's strenuous efforts to brush off any concerns.

The Kremlin continues to dismiss all health concerns as 'fake news,' but with each shaky public appearance, the global speculation only intensifies. Are these the 'painful' signs of a hidden illness, as Ukrainian observers allege, or simply the normal signs of ageing, as others suggest?