The Kremlin quietly tried to delete footage of Russian President Vladimir Putin having a coughing fit and struggling to breathe mid-speech — as rumors of his health woes ramp up.
Putin, 73, was caught on camera repeatedly spluttering and trying to clear his throat as he was filming a pre-recorded address to mark International Women’s Day over the weekend.
In the unedited clip, Putin could be seen pausing mid-sentence and repeatedly coughing as he gestured to someone out of frame.
“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,” the dictator said, according to the Moscow Times.
The footage was posted on the Kremlin’s official social media accounts but was abruptly wiped just minutes later.
It was quickly replaced with a shorter version without any signs of Putin’s coughing fit.
The Kremlin insisted the original clip was posted by accident.
Still, the Russian strongman has been plagued by rumors about his ailing health in recent years — including reported strokes, multiple bouts of cancer and even Parkinson’s disease.
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