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Ex-Kremlin chief Putin took over the reigns from Yeltsin in 1999 and is the longest serving Russian leader since Josef Stalin, stepping down from the lead role between 2008 to 2012 to serve as Prime Minister under Dmitry Medvede. His current term ends on May 7, 2024. <\/p>\n
The upcoming elections are due to take place on March 17, 2024.<\/p>\n
The Sun reports that Putin remains popular with 80 per cent of Russians according to a recent independent poll. However, the Kremlin has been known to go to extremes to silence any opposition and has cracked down on any Putin criticism. <\/p>\n
The confirmation Putin will stand once again for re-election comes after rife speculation about his health, and in fact whether or not the despotic 71-year-old is even still alive.<\/p>\n
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Indeed, rumours about body doubles, fake deaths, actual deaths and gravely ill health have become so frequent, The Kremlin issued a denial of circulating reports that the president had died in his Moscow home and was being kept in his freezer, reports The Sun.<\/p>\n
The Daily Star reported that the Russian President was on death's door after suffering a severe heart attack in October, when doctors had to resuscitate him. <\/p>\n
We also reported claims that while Putin was down suffering from poor health, the body double who stepped up to replace him was also suffering from ill health including a bout of coronavirus, chronic kidney disease, and that his cheek bones were dropping.<\/p>\n
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