Red-faced Putin sways and slurs while clasping champagne with claw-like grip as he defends forcing Ukrainians to freeze

VLADIMIR Putin appeared red-faced and slurred his words while clasping a glass of champagne amid rumours of his deteriorating health.

The Russian leader, who is said to be “critically ill", was swaying as he defended striking Ukraine's power grid plunging millions into darkness and forcing them to freeze.

Putin's public appearances during the invasion of Ukraine have shown him out of breath, stumbling over his words, or looking exhausted - amid speculation about his health.

Last week his alleged health issues hit a new low after it emerged that he apparently slipped, fell and soiled himself at his official residence.

And in his latest public appearance, a rose-cheeked Russian President seemed fidgety as he was tightly clasping a glass of champagne.

Speaking at an awards ceremony in Kremlin, Putin supported his position and vowed to continue attacking the country's infrastructure, arguing it is a response to the explosion of the Crimea Bridge.

He said: "There's a lot of noise right now about our strikes against the energy infrastructure of the neighbouring country.

"Yes, we do that. But who started it? Who struck the Crimea Bridge?"

The Russian tyrant accused Ukraine of blowing up the lines of the Kursk nuclear power plant and cutting the water supply to Donetsk.

He concluded that criticism of the Russian attacks will not "prevent us from completing military objects."

It comes as earlier this week, Mad Vlad issued a chilling warning about the potential use of nuclear weapons, adding that the war in Ukraine could last for a long time.

Speaking at a meeting of his own Human Rights Council, Putin said the threat of nuclear war is “on the rise”.

"We have the most advanced weapons, but we do not want to wave it around,” he said.

Putin also said the Russian army could be fighting in Ukraine for a long time, but he saw "no sense" in mobilising additional soldiers at this point.

"As for the duration of the special military operation, well, of course, this can be a long process," he added.

Rumours about the Russian President's health, have suggested he may be suffering from a serious illness, including cancer, Parkinson’s disease and a schizoaffective disorder.

Recent pictures show him with a puffy face, while critics say he has been gripping the side of desks during public appearances to hide his tremors.

During talks with his defence minister Sergey Shoigu, the elderly despot was filmed gripping the table and slouching in a sign he's suffering from Parkinson's.

And the Russian leader's hands trembled violently in a video clip showing him greeting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Kremlin.

Other footage showed Putin biting his lips and fidgeting distractedly at a church service, further stoking claims the autocrat has a terminal illness.

Bombshell spy documents leaked to The Sun Online suggested that the Russian leader had been diagnosed with several illnesses.

"I can confirm he has been diagnosed with early stage Parkinson's disease, but it's already progressing," the Russian security services insider claimed in an email.

"This fact will be denied in every possible way and hidden.

"Putin is regularly stuffed with all kinds of heavy steroids and innovative painkilling injections to stop the spread of pancreatic cancer he was recently diagnosed with.

"It not only causes a lot of pain, Putin has a state of puffiness of the face and other side effects - including memory lapses.

"In his close circle, there are rumours that in addition to pancreatic cancer, which is gradually spreading, Putin also has prostate cancer."

In the past few months, Putin has been pictured with suspected track marks from IV treatment on the back of his hand while footage showed his feet constantly twitching.