Chechnya's strongman chief Ramzan Kadyrov has raised and dismissed a rumor about Russian President Vladimir Putin's well being.

In an audio recording posted Wednesday to his Telegram social media channel, Kadyrov stated that he had "learn that our president had fallen right into a coma" and that "they're in search of a alternative proper now."

Since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, there was a lot hypothesis about whether or not the Russian president is ailing. Scenes of him gripping the sting of a desk on April 21 throughout a gathering together with his protection minister Sergei Shoigu added to the rumor mill. The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that Putin is in good well being.

Kadyrov, a Putin loyalist whose troopers are preventing in Ukraine, described the concept of Putin being in a coma as "ridiculous nonsense" and stated that he had "not too long ago" spoken with him. "He has a really cheerful voice, a commanding voice, and he is able to full the particular operation with out harming the Ukrainian folks and the state as a lot as doable," Kadyrov stated in his submit.

Ramzan Kadyrov and Vladimir Putin
Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov posted on Telegram that he had examine rumors that Vladimir Putin had fallen right into a coma. Above, Kadyrov (R) speaks with Putin on the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outdoors Moscow on August 31, 2019. ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/Getty Pictures

In a warning to these spreading such rumors, the chief of the predominantly Muslim republic in Russia's Caucasus area stated, "I counsel you that it's higher to close your mouths."

"Could Allah grant our president an extended life, well being, happiness and good luck," Kadyrov stated on the finish of the 69-second recording in Russian, by which he ceaselessly used the Chechen filler phrase "don."

Kadyrov didn't specify the place he had learn the rumor in his Telegram submit which, as of Thursday afternoon, had acquired greater than 29,000 likes.

Nonetheless, the Ukrainian publication Obozrevatel cited nameless Russian intelligence sources in a report on Tuesday alleging Putin had fallen right into a coma after an unsuccessful surgical intervention to take away a cancerous tumor. However this was dismissed in the identical publication on Wednesday by Ukrainian inside affairs ministry advisor Viktor Andrusiv who stated studies about Putin's alleged well being issues typically seem earlier than a giant speech.

Andrusiv stated he anticipated Putin to talk at a plenary session of the St. Petersburg Worldwide Financial Discussion board (SPIEF) on Friday.

In different unverified claims, political analyst and Kremlin critic Valery Solovei stated Putin has most cancers, Parkinson's illness, and underwent emergency surgical procedure in February 2020. New Traces journal reported tapes of an unnamed oligarch saying Putin was "very ailing with blood most cancers."

In the meantime, as Newsweek reported earlier this month, a categorised U.S. intelligence report stated that Putin had undergone remedy in April for superior most cancers.

Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin for remark.