Key Points

The unusual security measure was said to be aimed at preventing foreign powers from obtaining information about the Russian leader's health. "Putin's bodyguards collect his faecal waste and bring it back to Russia when the leader travels abroad," The Express US reported.

During Putin's meeting, strict security measures were in place to protect Putin. He was surrounded by bodyguards, and a number of steps were taken to protect him and Russian intel.

Citing investigative journalists Regis Gente and Mikhail Rubin in the French publication Paris Match, The Express US reported that members of the Russian President's Federal Protection Service (FPS) collect his human waste, including his faeces, store it in special bags, and carry it in dedicated briefcases.

The measure reportedly dates back several years, including Putin's visit to France in May 2017, The Express US reported. It is suspected that the surprising security measure is undertaken to stop foreign powers from taking samples of Putin's human waste, potentially gaining information on the Russian leader's health.

Journalist Farida Rustamova also reported that such measures existed during Putin's visit to Vienna, where he used a portable toilet. "She said that a source revealed the president has carried out the practice since he began his leadership in 1999," The Express US reported.

The reports came amid ongoing speculation about the 72-year-old president's health. Concerns have been raised over the years after Putin appeared to be jerking his legs during a press conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, last November. Dr Bob Berookhim had suspected that it could be a neurological condition such as Parkinson's disease, according to The Express US.

Putin was also seen twitching in his seat while meeting Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko in 2023. In 2022, the Kremlin also moved to quash rumours circulated by the General SVR Telegram channel alleging that Putin had soiled himself after a fall, The Express US reported.

- ANI