Vladimir Putin paused his televised address for International Women’s Day after a severe coughing fit interrupted the recording. The 73-year-old leader restarted the segment, but state media initially aired the full unedited clip, exposing the moment to viewers across Russia.
The Broadcasting Mishap
During the live taping on March 8, Putin delivered a message to Russian women, praising their ability to balance beauty, charm, hard work, determination, and resilience. As he reached the end, a persistent throat tickle forced him to stop. “You know, let me say it again, because I had a tickle in my throat,” he told his team. “I almost coughed.”
He attributed the hoarseness to extensive speaking earlier that day, saying, “I spoke a lot today.” Despite efforts to compose himself, repeated coughs followed, with Putin raising a hand to his mouth several times. An off-camera voice offered water, but he declined, insisting, “No. Let’s continue. Let’s get to work.”
After regaining control, Putin restarted: “Dear women, I am sincerely happy to congratulate you on International Women’s Day. We always celebrate this holiday with the warmest, most heartfelt feelings.”
Health Concerns and Leak Theories
The unedited footage, broadcast briefly on official state channels and social media, sparked fresh speculation about Putin’s health. He reportedly travels with a leading thyroid cancer specialist surgeon. Ukrainian intelligence sources suggest an insider may have intentionally released the clip.
War analyst Denis Kazansky remarked, “You build an image of a young and strong leader, and then someone leaks one video, and this whole image collapses, and a sick, decrepit old man appears before everyone. It seems that it was leaked on purpose, because the sick senile man has annoyed everyone.”
State censors quickly removed the original version, replacing it with the polished take without the coughing episode.
