A social media account claimed to be run by former and current members of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR, has alleged Vladimir Putin has died.
The channel called General SVR on messaging platform Telegram sensationally claimed on Thursday that the Russian President had died that day at 8.42pm Moscow time, after doctors had tried for several minutes to resuscitate him.
The unsourced and unverified post added Putin died in a room in his home, which had previously been turned into an intensive care ward after his health deteriorated.
In another post shared on Friday morning, the Telegram account went on to claim that, following the alleged death, “security officers ordered the doctors to calm down, keep quiet and wait”.
General SVR also alleged the pro-Putin circle is negotiating how to create a shadow presidential power that would lead the country in lieu of Putin, using body doubles to create the illusion the Russian President is still alive.
A second, even more astonishing claim followed, with the same Telegram account alleging Putin’s body was placed “in a freezer”.
The post read: “No respect for the deceased. Putin’s corpse was placed in a freezer, which previously contained deep-frozen food, at the presidential residence in Valdai.
“The doctors who took part in the treatment and resuscitation of Putin were distributed among several rooms in the residence and continue to be held by the president’s security service.”
General SVR has made a number of allegations over Putin’s health in the past months, albeit without presenting evidence.
On October 23, the account claimed the Russian President had suffered a “cardiac arrest”, but was brought back to consciousness thanks to the intervention of medical experts.
This allegation was picked up by a number of Western media, and seemingly forced the Kremlin to break silence on the flurry of rumours of Putin’s ailing health.
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on October 24 that everything was “fine” with the Russian leader, and dismissed as an “absurd hoax” the suggestion the leader is using body doubles for public appearances.
On October 27, Mr Peskov was tasked once again to quash rumours surrounding Putin’s health.
Messages speaking about Putin’s death, the spokesman said, are “an absurd information canard”.
Seemingly to dispel these rumours, the Kremlin also issued new pictures of Putin showing the president at work, in which he is chairing a meeting with Security Council permanent members via video link.
