Russian President Vladimir Putin is seriously ill with blood cancer, according to New Lines, citing a statement by a Russian oligarch to a Western venture capitalist who, on condition of anonymity, gave reporters an audio recording of the conversation, writes Insider.

Putin's well-known back problems are linked to blood cancer, the oligarch says, and he underwent back surgery in October.

In the 11-minute tape, the oligarch was critical of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and said: "

“He completely destroyed the economy of Russia, the economy of Ukraine and many other economies.. He has problems with his head. One madman can turn the whole world upside down,” said the oligarch.

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During his public speech on May 9, Putin limped slightly and sat with a blanket on his knees.. Previous videos also showed him gripping the table tightly and shaking a little.. According to the Russian publication Proekt, over the course of four years, Putin was visited dozens of times by an oncologist surgeon, and he may have thyroid cancer..

Earlier, the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kirill Budanov, also said in an interview with Sky News that Putin is seriously ill with cancer, and also suffers from a number of other diseases..