Additional Coverage:
Reports suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin employs unusual security measures during his travels abroad. According to investigative journalists from the French publication Paris Match, members of Putin’s Federal Protection Service (FPS) are responsible for collecting and returning his bodily waste to Russia. This practice, reportedly ongoing for years, aims to prevent foreign powers from analyzing Putin’s waste for health information.
This unusual protocol was also noted by former BBC journalist Farida Rustamova, who reported on Putin’s use of a private portable toilet during a trip to Vienna. A source indicated this practice has been in place since Putin assumed leadership in 1999.
Speculation surrounding Putin’s health has intensified in recent years. Observations of Putin fidgeting during meetings and exhibiting jerky leg movements have fueled these concerns. While some medical professionals have suggested possible neurological disorders, the Kremlin has dismissed such claims.
President Putin is currently in Alaska for a high-profile meeting with former US President Donald Trump to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. Ahead of the summit, Trump expressed his hope for a subsequent meeting with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.