Putins bodyguards carried poop suitcase at Alaska summit; Whats behind the unusual security measure
Reports reveal Russian President Vladimir Putin's bodyguards transport his waste in a special suitcase during foreign trips, raising concerns about his health. This practice, reportedly used since 2017, aims to prevent foreign powers from analyzing his biological samples. Recent observations of Putin's health have fuelled speculation, including tremors and twitching, prompting discussion about his potential medical conditions.
New Delhi: The bodyguards of Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly carried a special suitcase to Alaska. No, it didn't contain confidential files, documents or weapons. It was carried alongside the President’s entourage to collect and transport the excrement and urine of Putin during his summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska on August 15, reports said.
"Putin's bodyguards collect his faecal waste and bring it back to Russia when the leader travels abroad,” The Express US reported. Carrying the "poop suitcase" has become a distinctive feature of Putin's highly controlled security detail.
According to reports, members of the Russian President’s Federal Protection Service (FPS) are responsible for collecting his human waste, including faeces, in special bags and transport it in dedicated briefcases.
The practice has been continuing for years now, including Putin’s 2017 visit to France and to Saudi Arabia in 2019. In 2022, the French magazine 'Paris Match' published the claim in a story by two senior investigative journalists. Former BBC journalist Farida Rustamova also reported that similar steps were taken during Putin's trip to Vienna, where the Russian leader used a portable toilet.
Not a new practice
The security measure is intended to safeguard the Russian leader's privacy and prevent foreign powers from using his stool samples to gather information about his health. According to The Express US, the unusual measure is aimed at stopping foreign agencies from learning details about the Russian president’s health.
Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer, was quoted as saying to Fox News that Putin apprehends foreign intelligence services might analyse his biological waste to gain insights into his health.
Sources in West Asia, cited in a 2022 report, said an agent was tasked with packing Putin’s excrement into specially designed pouches, ensuring no trace remained, and transporting it back in a dedicated suitcase.
What's the buzz about Putin's health
Concerns about the 72-year-old Russian leader's health have been mounting of late. Last November, speculations about his ill health gained ground when he was seen with leg tremors at a press conference in Astana, Kazakhstan. Doctors then suggested that it could possibly be a neurological condition like Parkinson’s disease. Earlier in 2023, Putin was seen twitching while he was seated during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko. Some time back, there were also rumours suggesting that he had suffered a cardiac arrest for which he could have required intensive care at his official residence. The General SVR Telegram channel had also reported that the Russian leader had soiled himself after he fell down stairs. The claim was rubbished by Kremlin.