Russian President Vladimir Putin’s health is under fresh scrutiny after Kremlin footage showed a dark mark on his left hand.
The mark was visible as Putin, 73, addressed schoolchildren and students in a video released on Sept. 1 to mark the start of Russia’s school year, known as Knowledge Day. Putin can be seen partially covering the mark with his right hand while repeatedly gesturing toward the camera, The Moscow Times reported.
The mark was most likely caused by an IV procedure, three doctors told the outlet. One Moscow emergency room doctor described it as a “three-day hematoma after an injection,” while another doctor said the mark resembled a “sloppy injection.” A hematoma occurs when blood leaks from damaged blood vessels and collects under the skin.
A cardiologist with more than 50 years of experience said doctors typically don’t use the hand for IV injections. Doctors usually use the inner elbow, where the veins are larger and easier to access.
The cardiologist said doctors may use veins in the hand or wrist when veins around the elbow have been overused or become inflamed from prolonged IV treatment. The hand or wrist may also be used in emergencies when quick access is needed, particularly if a patient is fully clothed.
The timing of the footage also raised questions. The mark appeared in Putin’s address to students and in a congratulatory message to miners released two days earlier. But it was not visible during his Sept. 1 meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev or in footage from his Aug. 29 meeting with teachers at Moscow State Pedagogical University.
It’s not clear when the Kremlin footage released on Sept. 1 was filmed.
Putin’s health has been the subject of intense speculation for years, particularly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The former KGB officer began his fifth presidential term in 2024 and has served as either president or prime minister since 1999. Under constitutional changes made in 2020, Putin may potentially remain in power until 2036, when he would be 83.
In June, Putin sidestepped a question from Reuters about whether he felt he had the stamina and health to stay in power until 2036.
“Only God knows if we have enough health—for me, for you, and for everyone gathered here, in order to live until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and even more so to solve some of the tasks we face, to achieve the goals that we set for ourselves,” Putin said.
He acknowledged that Russia’s Constitution allowed him to run again in 2030 but said it was “too early” to discuss whether he would do so.
The latest scrutiny comes days after Putin prompted fresh questions about his mental state after comparing his war against Ukraine to a bloody battle between orcas and polar bears.
During his Aug. 29 meeting with teachers, Putin claimed killer whales attacked and tore apart polar bears before comparing the supposed wildlife “food chain” to the conflict.
There are no confirmed reports of orcas hunting polar bears, according to the BBC, though a flurry of bogus AI videos have claimed to capture a brewing battle between the two species, the Daily Beast reported last week.
The Kremlin has repeatedly brushed off rumors of Putin’s ill health.
In 2022, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Putin had undergone surgery for thyroid cancer and said his health was “excellent.”
In October 2023, hundreds of thousands of Russians searched Yandex—Russia’s top search engine—after a rumor claimed Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest. Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo later found that the search terms “dead Putin,” “dying Putin” and “Putin died” received more than 417,000 hits.
Peskov said it was “just another hoax,” and that “everything is fine.”
Putin, meanwhile, has publicly portrayed himself as physically active. During a 2024 visit to Anadyr, he said he devoted at least two hours a day to sports.
“At least two hours, sometimes a little more, because there’s a gym, a swimming pool, all this together, a shower, two and a half hours,” the Russian president said.
