‘Cancer-hit’ Putin cancels SECOND trip in a week at last-minute fuelling new speculation over his health
VLADIMIR Putin has cancelled his second official visit in a week fuelling new speculation over his reportedly poor health.
Mad Vlad today abandoned a visit to Pskov, a city close to the Russia's borders with Nato nations Latvia and Estonia.
The move is likely to increase feverish speculation about his health, concerns over his security, or his efforts to dodge scrutiny over failures in Ukraine.
And it comes after he suddenly pulled out a visit to tank plant last week - only for one of the generals who worked there to mysteriously die on Christmas Day.
Officially the reason for him axing the visit to Pskov was “unfavourable flying conditions” for the 180 mile routing from St Petersburg.
Yet both airports remained open to incoming and departing flights - and pictures of Pskov show totally clear skies.
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He had been due to visit the Titan-Polymer plant and meet with Pskov region Governor Mikhail Vedernikov.
But instead he conducted the session virtually from St Petersburg.
Putin has also this year cancelled his end of year press conference, his address to Russia's parliament, and his New Year hockey game.
The flurry of abrupt cancellations are fueling speculation over his health.
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Putin's condition has been subject of ongoing speculation - with him appearing twitchy, unsteady on his feet, and out of breath on occasion.
It has been suggested he could be suffering from stomach cancer - or maybe even Parkinson's.
Vlad was seen clutching a thick blanket earlier this year while watching a parade, and last week was seen swaying and slurring as he spoke with a glass of champagne.
And secret Russian spy documents revealed by The Sun Online showed fears for Vlad's health.
Meanwhile, Vlad could be attempting to dodge asking questions over his disastrous war from an increasingly frustrated public in Russia.
Vlad is believed to thought he could have rolled over Ukraine in days - but has ended up with a long, bloody slog in the trenches.
Russia's advances have been thrown back by a valiant effort from the heroic Ukrainians, who are backed with support from the West.
And now the 70-year-old's future is believed to be tied to his invasion's success or failure.
Putin has been warned he could face an internal uprising unless he manages to achieve something in Ukraine.
It follows claims by senior Ukrainian figures that Putin fears he will be killed if he loses the war in Ukraine, and so is "fighting for his life".
Putin's bloody war in Ukraine rolls on - with Vlad now losing more than 100,000 soldiers.
Putin had foolishly expected to steamroller Ukraine and for his soldiers to be welcomed as "liberators" - but they have faced a fierce fightback.
Cities and regions seized at the start of the war at the end of February are now being retaken by the Ukrainians.
The West is heavily supporting Kyiv - loading them up with the weapons they need to defeat Russia.
The recent advances by Ukraine now opens the gateway to Crimea, the territory illegally seized by Russia in 2014.
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And the return of the peninsula to Ukrainian hands would be an unprecedented failure for Putin.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky received a hero's welcome on a visit to Washington DC - sitting down with Joe Biden to agree a deal for some £1.5billion of weapons.
