Report Reveals Possible Reason Kremlin 'Deliberately Spread Rumors' Russian President Vladimir Putin Dead

The Kremlin allegedly spread rumors about Vladimir Putin’s death to gauge how popular the Russian leader is among Russian citizens, RadarOnline.com reported.

In the latest development to come after the Russian Telegram channel General SVR claimed that Putin, 71, passed away on October 25 after suffering a heart attack, Ukrainian sources suggested that Moscow was behind the Putin death rumors.

According to Andrii Yusov, a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman, the Putin death rumors were launched as part of a strategy for the Kremlin to “gain a firmer grip” on “domestic control” in the country.

“In this way, the empire, which is built on the work of the secret services, learns how to continue to rule,” Yusov said on Friday. “The basic purpose of fake news is to look at how society reacts in terms of numbers and dynamics.”

He continued, “The purpose is to look at the reactions of individuals, the elite, and the media.”

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Yusov’s remarks came roughly one week after General SVR claimed that Putin died on October 25 after he suffered a “horrific” heart attack the Sunday before.

The Russian Telegram channel claimed that a “coup” was underway in Moscow following Putin’s alleged death and that a body double of the real Russian leader was positioned in Putin’s place.

“Attention! There is currently an attempted coup in Russia!” General SVR reported last Friday. “Russian President Vladimir Putin died this evening at his residence in Valdai.”

“At 20.42 Moscow time, doctors stopped resuscitation and pronounced death,” the outlet added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the Russian Telegram channel’s report. Peskov also shot down rumors that Putin was replaced by a lookalike.

“Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake rumor,” the Kremlin spokesman said. “I can tell you there are no doubles when it comes to work and so on.”

“These kinds of stories belong to the category of fake news, discussed with enviable tenacity by a number of media outlets,” Peskov continued. “This brings nothing but a smile in the Kremlin.”

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Putin’s closest allies and cronies reportedly “celebrated” the Russian leader’s rumored death and viewed his sudden passing as "the beginning of something new and good.”

Other Kremlins sources suggested that Putin’s rumored death may move Russia closer to ending its nearly two-year-long invasion of Ukraine.

"Those around the president are no longer very worried and even consider Putin’s death the beginning of something new and good," General SVR claimed.

"Many are tired of the constantly prevailing theme of war and sanctions, and started talking about the possibility of peace negotiations, but, of course, on favorable terms, which they cannot yet clearly formulate,” the channel added.

"In any case, the movement began, and the big political season began.”