A previously unedited video of Vladimir Putin, where he complains about a sore throat and nearly coughs, was mistakenly shared on the Kremlin's official Telegram channel before being swiftly deleted.
An unedited six-minute-and-19-seconds long video featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin was mistakenly uploaded to the Kremlin's official Telegram channel, where he expressed discomfort due to a sore throat and mentioned he almost coughed while recording his address. The video was posted at 01:01 and, only four minutes later, was removed, sparking discussions about the Kremlin's control over its public appearances.
Shortly after the initial upload, at 01:05, the Kremlin's press service released an edited version of the video that was reduced to just two minutes and 52 seconds. The unedited video had also been shared by Russia's Ministry of Defense's Telegram channel but was promptly deleted shortly after it was posted. This incident exposes the challenges faced by state media in managing the public image of top officials amidst growing scrutiny of their health and capabilities.
A news outlet, Readovka, had previously published the unedited video at 00:20, only for it to be removed about 24 minutes later. In the original greeting, Putin managed to read the entirety of his speech before requesting a retake, highlighting possible difficulties in his delivery and raising questions about the Kremlin's transparency regarding his well-being and public engagements.
