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Up until now this simply hasn’t seemed like a topic worth burning a publishing slot here, but at this point even I’ve become at least a bit curious. It’s been over ten days since there was a verified sighting of Vladimir Putin. On March 5th he was photographed at a meeting with Italy’s Prime Minister, but since then he’s been out of sight. Out of sight does not mean out of mind when you’re a world leader however, and there has been endless speculation about what’s up with Vlad. Is he dead? Is he in a coma? Is he...

Ukrainian and Russian media have wondered where the missing Vladimir Putin: he allegedly did not appear in public for a week, and state media replicate his legacy application. President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the second day in a row denies illness leader, while experts put forward new hypotheses about what is actually happening with Putin. New time tried to weed out the most incredible of them, leaving the five most plausible hypotheses sudden disappearance Putin: 1. Putin ill. This version came after reports of an influential international agency Reuters, which quoted a source in the Kazakh authorities handed over on...

An odd report from state TV has sparked a new round of speculation Kremlin-controlled TV informed millions of Russians about a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Kyrgyz counterpart Almazbek Atambayev. Nothing unusual about that, right? Wrong. The meeting between the two leaders of the former Soviet republics isn’t due to take place until Monday. But that didn’t stop the newsreader on the Rossiya 24 channel reading out the following item – all in the past tense. “The Kremlin also reports that Vladimir Putin met with Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev on Monday. They talked about cooperation in investment and...

From Russia, with love child. Vladimir Putin hasn’t been seen in public for more than a week — and rampant speculation over the Russian president’s whereabouts took a wild turn on Friday with reports he was in Switzerland for the birth of his secret daughter. “Es ist ein Madchen!” or “It’s a Girl!” screamed a headline from the Swiss newspaper Blick, which had him in Lugano to witness the arrival of his child with Alina Kabaeva, 31, a retired Olympic gymnast who served in the Russian parliament and now works for a media company. The paper reported that Putin’s daughter...

In the midst of Vladimir Putin’s mysterious absence, it appears that the Kremlin is announcing something big. Pictures of Putin allegedly meeting a leading judge today may be formerly staged photos. Beyond this, a large stage is being built in Red Square– right near Boris Nemstov’s murder: The Kremlin has now announced that there will be a major announcement in the next couple of days. It has advised journalists not to leave Moscow. The exact announcement is still unknown but sparking speculation. A source in the press service of the President of Russia says he is preparing a major announcement...

Market Vector Russia ETF Trust logoShares of Market Vector Russia ETF Trust (NYSE:RSX) were the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Investors bought 18,385 put options on the stock, Analyst Ratings Network reports. This represents an increase of 113% compared to the typical daily volume of 8,623 put options. Separately, analysts at S&P Equity Research downgraded shares of Market Vector Russia ETF Trust to an “average” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th.

The Kremlin's attempt to dispel rumors that Russian President Vladimir Putin's health had deteriorated just backfired again.On Friday, Russian state television released footage of the "perfectly healthy" 62-year-old leader meeting with Supreme Court chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev to discuss judicial reform systems — except, the world has already seen this video, in October.The video appears in a news report last year: 1TV.RU Kremlin's statement with the same video today: Kremlin/Amanda Macias/Business Insider Putin's rare absence is tallying in at eight days.

Recently media has been flooded with chatter surrounding Russian president Vladimir Putin’s absence from the public eye over the past week, with rumors suggesting that there might have been a palace coup in the Kremlin, and even far-fetched hypothesis that Putin is dead, or at least has health problems. Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, dismissed the rumors that his boss is ill and insisted Putin is doing fine, but suspicions of a force-major situation in Moscow continue to circulate as no comforting evidence has been presented to the public to tamp down concerns. What if, indeed, something has happened to the...

MOSCOW — Where’s Putin? It was the question preoccupying Moscow and much of Russia on Friday, as speculation mounted about why President Vladimir V. Putin had not been seen in public since last week. He canceled a trip to Kazakhstan; postponed a treaty signing with representatives from South Ossetia who were reportedly told not to bother to come to Moscow; and, unusually, was absent from a meeting of top officials from the F.S.B., Russia’s domestic intelligence service. The last confirmed public sighting was at a meeting with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy on March 5 — although the Kremlin...

Vladimir Putin may well be seriously ill, or worse. He hasn't appeared in public in a week, he just canceled a trip to Kazakhstan and a series of meetings in Moscow, and the hashtag #ПутинУмер (Putin Died) is trending like mad on Twitter. There have been reports in the Russian media that he's had a stroke. Whether Putin is sick, or "is feeling fine," as his spokesman Dmitry Peskov insists, the system he presides over is far from healthy. Even if Putin the man is in top form, the "collective Putin," Russia's informal ruling circle, is showing signs of deep...

From Vitaly Klim's facebook. Friends from Moscow reported: since yesterday, since around 11.03.14: 40 minutes and to date, the core functions of the Office of the RUSSIAN FEDERATION Dmitry Medvedev, are in control of the ARMED FORCES of the RUSSIAN FEDERATION. Noticed increased appearances of "member-carriers" [slang for chauffeured limousines of the government people] accompanied by TRAFFIC POLICE and security to the Kremlin and the Russian Government, and the Kremlin and Moscow itself, marked by unprecedented activity of the helicopter flights. Today, on several occasions landing helicopters were also seen on the territory of Hospital at the Office of the...

Moscow (AFP) - Where is President Vladimir Putin? The Kremlin was forced Thursday to insist the Russian leader was in good health as rumours swirled online over his week-long absence from the public eye. Putin was last seen in public on March 5 when he met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and, ever since he postponed a trip to Kazakhstan this week, Russians have grown increasingly curious about what their usually omnipresent leader is up to. The 62-year-old nurtures a fit, tough-guy image and rarely takes time off. "There's no need to worry, he's absolutely healthy," Putin's spokesman Dmitry...

Rumors have been swirling about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s taking usually unheard of sick days. Putin was supposed to go to Kazakhstan this week to meet in Astana with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, but a Kazakh official told Reuters, “The visit has been cancelled. It looks like he has fallen ill.” Belarus officials wouldn’t comment, the report said. Russia’s Interfax news agency got Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, to confirm the Kazakh cancellation. But “the president feels fine,” that report said. The Moscow Times said Peskov “did not pick up repeated phone calls.” A Russian news outlet...

Social media in Russia are abuzz with speculation over the health of President Vladimir Putin after he cancelled a foreign visit, some say because he uncharacteristically took a few days sick leave. Putin was expected in Kazakhstan this week to meet the country’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev and their Belorussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. But one Kazakh official told Reuters “The visit has been cancelled. It looks like he has fallen ill.” Officials from Belarus would not comment on Putin’s absence, although Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the Kazakh visit was concelled but that “the president feels fine.” Peskov tweeted on Wednesday...