Russian President Vladimir Putin's health has been in focus since he launched an invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Several instances of speculation about Mr Putin's health have prompted heightened media attention and discussions about the future of Russia's leadership. Most of them have turned out to be untrue, and Russia never officially issued any statement about Mr Putin's health. However, another social media post is gaining traction among internet users, which has ignited concerns about Mr Putin's health.
The post was originally shared on Telegram by a blogger Pozdnyakov, according to UK-based Express. It carries a picture of Mr Putin along with the text: "God, don't you leave us. Pray to God you are alive and healthy."
The cryptic message sparked a wave of discussions on social media platforms, with users enquiring about the well-being of Mr Putin, the outlet further said. However, no official statement has been issued by the Russian government.
It has also been shared by Anton Gerashchenko on X (formerly Twitter), advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. He asks: "What is going on?"
His posts has attracted a lot of comments from users on X.
"Probably nothing, but if he's sick and his time is nearing the end, then it actually makes perfect sense to get rid of Prigozjin. He would most certainly try to take over if this is the case," commented one user.
"We can only pray this is the case!" said another.
Earlier this year, a report in Metro said that the Russian President is suffering from "severe pain in his head, blurred vision, and numbness of the tongue".
The claims were made by the General SVR Telegram channel, a Russian outlet that has been making claims about Mr Putin's ailing health.
