11.05.2026 14:35
During the Victory Day celebrations, which sparked debates about Putin's health, his aged appearance drew attention. Although he defended the ongoing war against Ukraine, the focus was on his physical changes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reignited debates about his health after appearing "puffy and visibly aged" during Victory Day celebrations in Moscow.
The 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany was celebrated this year with a subdued ceremony, for the first time in years without armored vehicles and ballistic missiles.
Although Putin described the war he is waging against Ukraine as a "just struggle" at the ceremony, global attention focused more on his physical changes than his words.
Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, mocked the 73-year-old leader's swollen cheeks, saying, "Is this the face of a superpower leader and 'conqueror'? It seems the sanctions have reached Putin's Botox." The Crimea-based monitoring group Crimean Wind offered a historical perspective, noting that dictators often age rapidly just before their regimes collapse or they lose their lives.
Experts attribute this to the destructive effects of chronic stress, fear of losing power, and isolation on the body. Trembling Hands and Swollen VeinsSpeculation about Putin's health is not new. In late 2025, during a meeting with Yekaterina Leshchinskaya, head of the "Healthy Motherland" movement, noticeable veins on his hands and his attempts to hide them by constantly clenching his fists drew attention.
These images, widely covered in Polish and Ukrainian media, are interpreted as signs that the Russian leader may be suffering from serious physical pain."The Beginning of the End?"Leonid Nevzlin, a Putin opponent, argues that this "shrunken" ceremony, lacking military equipment, symbolizes Putin's declining power. According to Nevzlin, the regime has become dependent solely on "an old man's health condition."
Political analyst Ivan Yakovina made a harsher prediction, stating, "We can assume that this parade was Putin's last."Paranoia and IsolationAnother striking detail from the ceremony was the extreme increase in security measures.
The security personnel forming an unprecedentedly tight circle around Putin is seen as a sign of the leader's deep "paranoia and fear."
Analysts note that Putin is completely isolated within the security bubble he has created.Data from the Ukrainian front reveals the gravity of the situation. In the first week of May, the Russian army reportedly lost 7,480 personnel (dead, wounded, and captured). This means a Russian soldier is taken out of action every 80 seconds.