Does Putin Have Parkinson’s? Short answer: There’s no verified evidence. But the most interesting parts of the viral “hand video” story aren’t about medicine at all.

A handshake meant to sell a vape ban lit the fuse on a fresh round of Kremlin health rumors. The footage is real. The veins are real. The conclusions many are drawing? Mostly not.

Here’s what our reporting—and the corrections—show once you look past the buzz.

The moment that sparked it all

On November 6, 2025, in Samara, Vladimir Putin met activist Ekaterina Leshchinskaya, who asked him to back a nationwide ban on e‑cigarettes. He signaled support. That much is verified. Several outlets, citing TASS, reported the exchange and the policy line. Source: RBC coverage of the meeting: https://amp.rbc.ru/rbcnews/politics/06/11/2025/690cc15a9a7947ed16c6cd1a

But online, the conversation turned to something else: Putin’s right hand. Clips show pronounced veins, tight skin, tendons visible—and a moment where he clenches his fist. The video circulated widely, and outlets summarized the social media blowback without making any medical claims. Source: Newsweek roundup: https://www.newsweek.com/putins-hand-video-health-speculation-11019900

What the video shows is not in dispute. What it means medically is.

Key findings at a glance

• Verified

  • Putin met Leshchinskaya in Samara and backed the idea of a vape-sales ban. Source: RBC: https://amp.rbc.ru/rbcnews/politics/06/11/2025/690cc15a9a7947ed16c6cd1a
  • The “hand video” exists and shows veins and clenching; it went viral. Source: Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/putins-hand-video-health-speculation-11019900
  • The Kremlin regularly dismisses health rumors as fake or absurd. Source: AP: https://apnews.com/article/3c25f229f994aaa87d837285412cb1be
  • A 2022 Proekt investigation documented frequent visits to Sochi by a thyroid-cancer surgeon where Putin stayed; it stopped short of diagnosing anything, and the Kremlin denied cancer claims. Source: DW summary: https://www.dw.com/ru/proekt-sredi-vrachej-prezidenta-rossii-est-hirurg-onkolog/a-61328601
  • A hot-mic in September 2025 captured Putin and Xi Jinping discussing organ transplants and living to 150; Putin later acknowledged longevity talk in general terms. Source: Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/hot-mic-picks-up-putin-xi-discussing-organ-transplants-immortality-2025-09-03

• Corrections and weak claims

  • “Polish media noticed it first; Daily Mail picked it up” — unsubstantiated chain of custody. We found broader coverage but no reliable proof of that sequence. Source: Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/putins-hand-video-health-speculation-11019900
  • “Dr. Bob Berookhim, renowned US neurologist, didn’t rule out Parkinson’s” — false attribution. Boback (Bob) M. Berookhim is a urologist; we found no credible record of him opining on Putin’s health. Source: Provider profile: https://care.healthline.com/find-care/provider/dr-boback-berookhim-1639330160
  • “Uncontrolled leg twitch in Kazakhstan in 2024” — not corroborated by reliable mainstream reporting. Source: Background on earlier health-clip cycles: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/europe/vladimir-putin-health-concerns-shaking-uncontrollably-b2066674.html
  • “He’s using body doubles” — a recurring rumor with no public evidence; fact-checkers and the Kremlin have rejected it. Source: Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/putins-chin-body-double/

• Still unverified

  • Leshchinskaya’s age (“22”) is repeated in some pieces but not confirmed by authoritative bios. Source: RBC: https://amp.rbc.ru/rbcnews/politics/06/11/2025/690cc15a9a7947ed16c6cd1a

• Speculation, not established

  • “Steroid treatments” or “serious illnesses” inferred from facial changes remain guesses by commentators, not medical confirmation. Example coverage: https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/180505/putin-trump-summit-walk-Alaska
  • Parkinson’s diagnosis based on clips: multiple neurologists quoted over the years have warned you cannot diagnose parkinsonism from such footage, and some said they saw no clear signs in earlier videos. Source: DW explainer with experts: https://amp.dw.com/en/putin-and-parkinsons-what-experts-say-about-his-health/a-61597476

The story behind the story

The most striking revelation isn’t on Putin’s skin—it’s in our sources. A misidentified “neurologist.” A shaky origin tale about “Polish media first.” An unverified Kazakhstan “twitch.” Together, they show how rumor can harden into “fact” in a matter of hours, especially when a clip is captivating.

Meanwhile, the verifiable context is stranger—and more telling—than any body-double thread:

• In 2022, travel records suggested a thyroid specialist frequently joined Putin in Sochi. That’s unusual access, but not a diagnosis. It does suggest intensive, high-level medical attention—standard for a leader, perhaps, but secretive enough to fuel speculation.
• In 2025, a live mic caught Putin and Xi musing about biotechnology, transplants, and extraordinary longevity. It’s a rare glimpse of a leader openly fascinated by pushing human limits—a theme that, to rumor mills, reads like “proof” of illness, but to technophiles, looks like typical 21st-century power talk.

Layer in the Kremlin’s reflexive “fake/absurd” denials and a global audience primed to parse every frame, and you get the perfect storm: a health mystery without hard evidence, plus a leader who invites curiosity but offers almost no verifiable details.

What the hand video can—and cannot—tell us

• What we see: veins, skin texture, occasional clenching.
• What we can’t conclude: a diagnosis. Visible veins and hand clenching can have many benign explanations and also occur in older, physically active people. None of that equals Parkinson’s. And experts caution that Parkinson’s requires clinical evaluation—symptoms over time, observed by specialists—not a viral clip.

If you’re looking for a firm answer to “Does he have Parkinson’s?” no public medical records or credible on-the-record neurologist assessments support that claim today.

Our process, and the limits

We reviewed:

• Russian and international reporting on the Samara meeting (RBC/TASS citations)
• Roundups of the circulating hand video (Newsweek)
• Official denials (AP)
• Investigative context on medical entourages (DW on Proekt)
• Fact-checks of body-double claims (Snopes)
• The hot-mic transcript and follow-ups (Reuters)
• Earlier expert commentary on Parkinson’s and video evidence (DW)

Gaps remain. Russia tightly controls information about the president’s health. Interpreter audio can blur precise quotations. And social media spreads provocative frames faster than corrections.

So what should readers believe right now?

• Yes: Putin backed a vape-sales ban during a Samara meeting with activist Ekaterina Leshchinskaya.
• Yes: The hand video is real and prompted new speculation.
• Yes: The Kremlin has a track record of swatting away health rumors.
• Yes: There’s credible reporting that a thyroid surgeon has often been near Putin; there’s also a verified hot-mic about longevity.
• No: We do not have verified evidence that Putin has Parkinson’s.
• No: The “Dr. Berookhim” neurologist claim is wrong; the Kazakhstan “twitch” detail is unverified; body-double talk is unproven.

What would count as real proof?

• Independent, authoritative medical records or on-the-record confirmation by treating physicians
• Consistent, clinically observed neurological symptoms over time, assessed by specialists
• Corroborated investigative reporting with primary documents that withstand scrutiny

Until then, treat the “Parkinson’s” headlines like smoke without a confirmed fire.

The bottom line

The clip is captivating. The rumors are contagious. But the facts, as of now, are clear: there’s no verified diagnosis to be made from a clenched fist and a close-up of veins. The more revealing truth lies in the machinery around the image—tight control of information, credible hints of an extensive medical bubble, and a leader who publicly ponders living to 150.

That’s a story worth watching—just don’t confuse the vibe for a verdict.