Ukraine war latest LIVE: Putin’s health ‘been failing for 5 years’ amid Russian president’s rumoured new surgery

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has recently undergone surgery amid mounting speculation that his health is in decline, claims an anti-Kremlin Telegram account. The tyrant apparently went into surgery to remove fluid from his abdomen. The operation took place on Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the Telegram channel “General SVR,” which purports to be run by a former Russian spy. The channel further claims that Putin’s surgery and subsequent recovery was covered up the following day using “deepfake” technology to simulate his presence in videos of a scheduled meeting of Russia’s security council. This comes after Ukraine claims Vladimir Putin is concealing a serious illness but an investigation suggests he may have been sick for as many as five years. An investigation by the independent Russian media outlet Proekt scrutinised the Russian President’s health since 2017, noting his absences and visits by specialist doctors. Follow our Russia-Ukraine live blog below for up-to-the-minute updates…