The medical environment that always accompanies Vladimir Putin

An investigation by independent Russian media has uncovered one of the Kremlin’s secret issues: the health of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The project, which specializes in investigative journalism and is censored by the media in Russia, has received official documentation showing that a large number of doctors are always accompanying Putin on his travels. The paper also cites numerous sources around him that expose the Russian leader’s obsession with hiding a health problem. There are also surprising testimonies, such as those that reflect his growing belief in “bloody” treatment and not in alternatives.

Proekt, also known as Agentstvo, was born in 2018 and was founded by Roman Badanin, a journalist who has worked in various media such as Gazeta, Forbes, Interfax, RBK and Dozhd. A team of investigative journalists works with him. Many of them remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.

The independent publication has been closely monitoring the Russian government since its inception and has published several international award-winning investigations pointing to institutional corruption.

In 2021, the Russian Ministry of Justice declared Proekt an “undesirable” organization, forcing it to suspend its activities in the country because its journalists are threatened with imprisonment. It is forbidden to read or broadcast his works in Russia. Anyone who collaborates by donating to the media or sharing their news on social media also faces criminal charges, according to a Reuters report published on Thursday on repression in Russia.

A detailed Putin health probe published by Proekt is gathering documents proving that more than a dozen medical specialists accompany the Russian president on his trip.

According to the journalistic paper, Putin initially traveled to the Central Clinical Hospital, located in Kuntsevo, west of the capital, a center that specializes in treating VIPs. Over time, Putin stopped visiting the center, so doctors visited Putin in person at his residence and accompanied him on his travels.

The investigation publishes documents that appear on the Russian state procurement page about the president’s doctors and their place of residence. The media underscores the “paradox” that these documents have been leaked, when everything related to Putin’s health has been hidden for years.

Records of services rendered are also collected. These residences coincide with the places where Putin traveled from 2016 to 2020: Sochi, the ski resort of Gazprom (Laura) or his own residence, among others.

According to the project, these are some of the doctors who often accompany Putin:

The investigation indicated that one of these doctors had repeatedly accompanied Putin during the periods when he had disappeared from the media. For example, in August 2017, during which the Russian official media only published “canned” pictures of the president.

Concerns about Putin’s health have grown since 2020, when an investigation revealed that “Putin has started behaving strangely.” The COVID pandemic forced him to isolate himself and avoid contact with humans. He only meets people from a distance (remember the famous long table where Macron got) and most of his meetings are via video conferencing.

Deer Horn Blood Baths

Proekt also cites various sources – including government officials – who shed light on Putin’s passion for his health and youth. According to testimony collected in the investigation, 69-year-old Putin relies on pseudotherapy to maintain good health. One such “therapy” consisted of bathing in the blood of a gentle deer antler – not yet enhanced – which is attributed to the healing effect in humans.

This therapy, without any scientific support, was recommended in 2000 by his defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, with whom Putin could now maintain strained relations due to the war in Ukraine. He has since visited the Altai Republic several times to take these baths, according to Proekt, which cites Putin’s entourage and a former Moscow Kremlin official who claims he attended those baths.