In recent weeks, you may have seen some news articles about Russian President Vladimir Putin, speculating that he is secretly very sick with - depending on which reports you read - either Parkinson's disease or cancer.

But is there any truth to these rumours, including that he has been bathing in the blood of deer antlers in a desperate bid to get better, or is it just wishful thinking on the part of those of us who want the conflict in Ukraine to end as soon as possible?

The Quicky speaks to an expert in Russian politics and culture to find out what evidence there is to support the suggestion that Putin is gravely ill, and what it would mean for Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world if it is in fact true.

CREDITS 

Host: Claire Murphy

With thanks to:

William Partlett - Associate Professor at Melbourne Law School. He writes and teaches in the field of public law and is an expert in Russian and East European Studies and also speaks Russian

To stay up to date with what's happening in the region, you can follow William on Twitter: @WPartlett

Producer: Claire Murphy

Executive Producer: Siobhán Moran-McFarlane

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

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