Moscow, October 27: The Kremlin on Thursday, October 26, rejected speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin's death from cancer, saying he was fit and well. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, termed the report as an “absurd information canard.” This comes after the claims surfaced in a Telegram channel saying Putin died at his Valdai palace, just north of Moscow.

Peskov had earlier rejected reports of Putin suffering heart attack last weekend and denied suggestions that the president was using body doubles, calling that an "absurd hoax". Russia President Vladimir Putin Collapses in Bedroom After Suffering Heart Attack, Say Reports.

Mirror reported that General SVR, the Telegram channel that propagated news of Putin’s death, also asserted that Kremlin was using a body double to pretend that Putin is still alive, and that a coup was underway, led by Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin Suffered Heart Attack? Kremlin Rejects Media Reports About Russian President's Health Condition, Claims of Him Using Body Doubles.

“Attention! There is currently an attempted coup in Russia! Russian President Vladimir Putin died this evening at his residence in Valdai. At 20.42 Moscow time, doctors stopped resuscitation and pronounced death,” the report from General SVR read.

It further said “Now the doctors are blocked in the room with Putin’s corpse, they are being held by members of the presidential security service on the personal orders of Dmitry Kochnev, who is in touch and receives instructions from the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev. Security for the president's double has been beefed up.‌ Active negotiations are underway. Any attempt to pass off a double as the president after Putin’s death is a coup.”

Earlier, General SRV had claimed that Putin suffered a serious health episode last Sunday, October 22 and was lying on the floor and rolling his eyes. 

Meanwhile, Putin continues to make public appearances. He visited China last week, with stop-offs in two Russian cities on the way back.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 27, 2023 10:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).