In October, there was a notable increase in online searches related to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s health. These searches followed unsubstantiated rumors of a cardiac arrest, which garnered global attention.
Investigative platform Agentstvo, established in 2021, uncovered some intriguing insights:
Search terms such as “dead Putin,” “dying Putin,” and “Putin died” amassed over 417,000 impressions. These inquiries ranked among the top 12 search queries linked to the term “Putin.”
The origin of these health-related rumors, dismissed by the Kremlin as a “hoax,” stemmed from a Telegram post by the Russian gossip channel, General SVR, on October 26. The post claimed that President Putin had passed away at his Valdai residence, leading to speculation of a “coup d’état in Russia.”
The Telegram post also alleged that doctors were confined in a room with Putin’s body under the guard of the presidential security service, following orders from Federal Protective Service Director Dmitry Kochnev, who purportedly received instructions from Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Concerns were raised in the post about the safety of a presidential stand-in and the potential for a coup if an impostor were presented as the president following Putin’s hypothetical demise.
Another post by General SVR on October 23 described a scenario where officers discovered President Putin in a convulsive state on the floor, with his eyes rolling. It implied that he had been taken to a room outfitted with resuscitation equipment specifically.
While the post claimed the president’s condition had stabilized and was under medical supervision, it also mentioned concerns within Putin’s inner circle about his survival.
General SVR, a Telegram channel with nearly half a million subscribers, has a history of making false claims, and the identity of its author remains unknown.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov strongly refuted the rumors of Putin’s cardiac arrest and death, categorizing them as “just another hoax” and assuring that “everything is fine.”
Additionally, President Putin continued to make public appearances, including attending government meetings, despite the Telegram posts.
Agentstvo’s report revealed that online searches related to Putin’s “death” peaked on Yandex between October 23 and October 29, coinciding with the posts published by General SVR. Throughout October, there were a total of 6.3 million searches involving the term “Putin.”
