Vladimir Putin was last seen publicly on February 5 at the opening of the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia.
He reappeared on February 18, when he visited an exhibition organized by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and took part in video meetings with the government.
No official explanation has been given as to what happened in the meantime.
The Kremlin has previously dismissed rumors of health problems when similar absences have occurred.
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The absence took place while the war in Ukraine continues, amid media reports of political negotiations.
Media investigations
According to the Daily Express, the independent outlet Sistema has questioned several televised meetings from the period.
According to the outlet, at least seven meetings broadcast from February 9 may have been recorded earlier.
Sistema points, among other things, to details in footage from Putin’s office.
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A houseplant reportedly appeared different at the end of January than in clips broadcast later.
The color of Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova’s nail polish in a meeting dated February 10 is also mentioned as a sign that the recording may be older.
According to Sistema, the Kremlin has not responded to an inquiry about the matter.
Rumors and reactions
The Telegram channel VChK-OGPU claimed that Putin was staying outside Moscow and that a planned foreign trip had been canceled.
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The channel wrote that the day before he disappeared, the president and his inner circle were in quarantine.
However, the information has not been confirmed by official authorities.
Sources: Daily Express.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.