Last week, a Russian Telegram channel reported that members of Vladimir Putin’s security service found him convulsing on the ground while suffering a cardiac arrest.

The news is the latest in a series of unverified reports about the Russian president’s health.

According to the channel, the 71-year-old president began banging on his private bedroom door. Security found him on the ground and doctors immediately resuscitated him.

In a statement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the report an “absurd hoax,” likening it to other rumors about Putin’s health.

Following the incident, the director of Russia-Eurasia programs at Chatham House, James Nixey, spoke to The Independent about press coverage of the Russian president.

“What is absolutely clear is that this particular channel has a record of putting our disinformation and that is in the service of the Russian state. It suits the Kremlin to sow confusion,” he said.

“71 years old is the average life expectancy of Russian men,” Nixey continued. “He is not the average man. He’ll have much better healthcare than anyone else and he appears not to be a heavy drinker compared to his predecessors.”

This is just one of the many rumors about Putin to make the rounds. One suggests that he uses body doubles for public appearances.

During an event in Dagestan over the summer, Putin was seen clasping the hands of audience members and even kissing a girl on the cheek.

The president is known for keeping his distance and refusing to greet his constituents, so his overwhelming display of affection sparked rumors that fans actually came in contact with a body double.

This summer, leaked U.S. military cables suggested that Putin has been receiving chemotherapy for cancer.

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