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A top Ukrainian official has claimed that Russia’s despot leader Vladimir Putin was “visibly limping” as he swanned about Crimea just days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him.
Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, said in a tweet that the 70-year-old dictator was visiting the port city of Sevastopol to “celebrate” the ninth anniversary of Russia’s capture of Crimea.
It comes after rumour of his failing health took centre stage, as it has long been believed he suffers from cancer, Parkinson's disease and other ailments including a schizoaffective disorder.
READ MORE: Putin orders hundreds of body doubles to dodge arrest alongside 'chief child catcher'
Contract documents previously revealed that top surgeon Yevgeny Selivanov, of Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital, had flown to the Russian leader at least 35 times in the exclusive Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Putin was apparently accompanied by between six and 13 medical specialists on these trips.
Mysteriously, these contracts were given a “top secret” designation out of the blue, the Daily Starreported in February.
While there is little information available to the public about the tyrant’s health, his wannabe-macho side has noticeably shrunk in recent years.
No longer is the dictator seen playing ice hockey or posing topless on horseback as he used to.
On top of this, he missed out on the yearly Russian Orthodox tradition of dunking himself into icy water to celebrate the baptism of Jesus.
Putin is currently taking a tour around captured Ukrainian territory, just two days after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him for allegedly committing war crimes, focusing its claims on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
This is the despot’s first time visiting captured territory since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.
While he has not personally commented publicly on the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant, his spokesman called it "null and void" on Friday.
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- Vladimir Putin
- Cancer
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