Vladimir Putin has defied rumours about the state of his health by taking a dip in icy waters near Moscow to mark the Orthodox Epiphany.
The 68-year-old Russian president looked fit and healthy in tight blue swimming trunks as he dunked in a pool, repeatedly crossing himself, in footage released today.
He was taking part in an annual ritual undertaken by millions of Russians at a time of year when the air temperature sits around -17C (1.4F).
Video showed Putin getting into a cross-shaped pool to carry out the rite opposite an imposing cross made from ice.
‘This is a tradition. He doesn’t betray traditions,’ spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to the centuries-old practice among Russian Orthodox Christians of cutting holes to immerse themselves in icy lakes and rivers on the day Jesus Christ was baptised in the River Jordan.
The video released by the Kremlin comes amid rumours over the state of Putin’s health, with some even claiming that the president could quit this year and name a successor.
In November last year, Professor Valery Solovei, a prominent critic who claims to have sources at the heart of the Kremlin, said claimed that Putin had Parkinson’s, later asserting that the president had also undergone surgery for cancer in February 2019.
The Kremlin, which has strongly denied any rumours regarding alleged medical issues, was forced to do so again on November 19 after Putin suffered a coughing fit during a televised meeting.