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:
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
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.
Friday updates
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.