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Paul,

I don't know if you have been following this Kremlin version of "Where is Waldo?" concerning allegations that our dear friend Volodia has suffered a massive heart attack and may even now be residing at room temperature somewhere in the bowels of the Kremlin. Here is a sampling of how this "story" is playing in the media:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/vladimir-putins-loved-ones-being-31286103

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/10/24/kremlin-denies-rumors-of-putin-body-double-amid-heart-attack-claims/?sh=4e4cd949a006

https://www.newsweek.com/putin-health-cardiac-arrest-russia-what-we-know-1837220

https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-heart-attack-claim-is-it-reliable-general-svr-2023-10

The basis for the origination of this story appears to be a Russian Telegram channel called "General SVR" described as being of dubious authenticity. "General SVR" emerged on Russian social media in 2020 and has a track record of publishing accounts on Putin deemed implausible. What is intriguing about this is that despite repeated denials by the Kremlin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov among others this story continues to grow legs with ever spicier details. For example: here are some more sources

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/vladimir-putins-corpse-being-stored-31292768

https://www.the-sun.com/news/9429030/putin-not-dead-kremlin-russian-president/

If nothing else, it is refreshing to see that the Russians are not immune to the effects of fake news. Maybe we should consider this their own version of the Russian Conspiracy Hoax.

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Apologies for the late response my friend.

I’ve been out of town with Mrs. C regarding some family health matters.

Yes, I have been following this story and I’m grateful for the links which I will dive into today as I catch up.

The world would be better without Putin and we can only hope that he is gone, in some fashion or the other. My preference is that since he wishes to be a Czar, he’ll end up like Nicholas II.

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