The Russian leader had Moscow-based Yevgeny Selivanov, a specialist in thyroid cancer for the “elderly and senile”, repeatedly flown out to his favored residence in Sochi for a total of 166 days over four years, according to the report.
Putin has also taken to bathing in the blood extracted from severed deer antlers as an alternative therapy, said the report which claimed Putin’s poor health is the Kremlin’s “main secret”.
Treatment for thyroid cancer usually involves steroids, which, according to charities, can trigger anxiety, hallucinations and even cause the patient to “imagine things that aren’t real”, noted The Telegraph.
Steroids can also cause swelling. Putin’s bloated appearance has previously led to whispers of plastic surgery.
The Kremlin has denied that Putin, 69, has or had cancer but Proekt, a Russian banned investigative news organization, said it had proof this was a lie.
Proekt revealed that Putin, who disappeared from public view for a month in September and now holds most of his interactions at one end of a very long table, has a retinue of medical staff travelling with him.
It added that Putin secretly underwent surgery last autumn. In medical circles, it said, it is believed that the president was undergoing a complicated procedure related to some kind of thyroid disease during this period.
Proyekt uncovered the details by examining government procurement documents, showing which doctors stayed in four different hotels near to Putin’s residence between 2016 and 2020.
There have been past, unconfirmed reports about Putin’s health. In 2020, there were reports that Putin is planning on resigning the following year. The report cited rumors that Putin is suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
