Putin reappears after 11-day absence

By bne IntelliNews March 16, 2015

bne IntelliNews -

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reappeared in public after an 11-day absence that had sent the media into a frenzy of speculation.

Putin said on March 16 that the various reports and theories on the reason for his absence – ranging from birth of his alleged fifth child, through palace coup and on to death – were just "rumours".

“It’d be boring if there weren’t rumours,” Putin said wryly, without explaining where he had been.

Putin flew from Moscow to St Petersburg on the morning of March 16 and appeared in front of the cameras before meeting Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev.

Putin appeared in rude health and jolly spirits, nixing the theories that he had undergone more plastic surgery – he is believed to have received Botox injections – or had thrown his back out again. He hurt his back during a minor crash in a microlight last year.

Atambayev said that Putin was not just on his feet, but also “hot-rodding behind the wheel”. “[Russian President] Vladimir Vladimirovich just drove me around the territory. That’s just so there’s no rumours,” Atambayev was quoted as saying by the Russian state-owned Sputnik newswire.

Read in IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Articles

Drum rolls in the great disappearing act of Russia's banks

Jason Corcoran in Moscow - Russian banks are disappearing at the fastest rate ever as the country's deepening recession makes it easier for the central bank to expose money laundering, dodgy lending ... more

Kremlin: No evidence in Olympic doping allegations against Russia

bne IntelliNews - The Kremlin supported by national sports authorities has brushed aside "groundless" allegations of a mass doping scam involving Russian athletes after the World Anti-Doping Agency ... more

PROFILE: Day of reckoning comes for eccentric owner of Russian bank Uralsib

Jason Corcoran in Moscow - Revelations and mysticism may have been the stock-in-trade of Nikolai Tsvetkov’s management style, but ultimately they didn’t help him to hold on to his ... more

Follow Us On

Most Read

  1. Iran vs Israel: Who is better equipped for war?
    5 days ago
  2. Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for Neom city
    9 days ago
  3. BREAKING: Iraq, Syria and Jordan close airspace amid Iranian strike on Israel
    5 days ago
  4. PANNIER: Caspian military drills that exclude Russia and Iran have some people in Moscow asking questions
    6 days ago
  5. Oil continues to flow to Israel via Turkey despite Erdogan’s vehement speeches on plight of Gaza
    5 months ago
  1. Russia could pay off its entire external debt tomorrow, in cash
    19 days ago
  2. Speculation swirls of “Men in Blue” in Crocus City Hall terrorist attack linked to FSB
    24 days ago
  3. Albanians campaign on social media to keep bus bridge created in freak accident
    1 year ago
  4. UBN: Russia could take the Baltic states in 48 hours
    29 days ago
  5. BRICS announce a blockchain-based payment system to create a common currency
    22 days ago

Reports

Dismiss