Aging, allegedly ailing Vladimir Putin has been mocked over his puffy, strangely altered face after the fearful, paranoid Russian dictator made a rare public appearance in Moscow over the weekend.
The swollen-cheeked 73-year-old despot was spotted at an unusually quiet Victory Day parade to mark the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Putin’s brief appearance during the event in Red Square sparked ripping online comments over his appearance, with one joking that Western sanctions on Russia were affecting the president’s Botox.
“Putin, what’s with the face?” a pro-Ukraine account quipped on X, noting, “The parade ended at lightning speed — just 45 minutes The Kremlin boss [was] immediately rushed off Red Square surrounded by heavy security.”
Another user shared a picture of the Russian tyrant with a pained expression during Saturday’s rally.
“Putin’s last parade,” the person wrote.
A third X user said, “Putin genuinely looks sick, this isn’t the face of a well man even for his age.”
Someone else said, “Putin must be residing in the bunker for an extended period, possibly even longer than this year. He seems to be in dire need of some Botox touch-ups.”
Others pointed to the pared-down nature of the parade, with no armored vehicles or ballistic missiles, as well as Putin’s additional security precautions.
The Russian capital was under heavy security Saturday, with internet services switched off across the city as Ukraine continued to launch long-range drones and missile strikes at the country.
“Putin used to always walk to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Today, for the first time in history, he rode an armored bus,” the Ukrainian X user wrote.
Even Putin’s supporters admitted that the event was a shadow of previous years’ parades.
“It was a modest parade,” pro-Kremlin commentator Sergei Markov wrote on Telegram, adding, “There are still enormous challenges ahead.”
The Russian president used his brief appearance at the parade to invoke the country’s sacrifices during the Second World War to muster support for the conflict in Ukraine, while not naming that war directly.
“The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the warriors carrying out the tasks of the special military operation,” Putin said.
“They stand against an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc. And despite this, our heroes move forward. Victory has always been and will always be ours,” he said.
On the eve of the parade, President Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day cease-fire and the exchange of some 1,000 prisoners.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joked Friday that he would “permit” Russia to hold the parade the next day by choosing not to attack it.
The cease-fire was set to end Monday.
With Post wires
