Putin, 73, Commits Humiliating Blunder During Stunt With Sailors

Vyacheslav Prokofyev / via REUTERS Vladimir Putin made a fool of himself with an intercom mishap.

The Russian president visited sailors aboard a fishing vessel on Wednesday, according to the Kremlin, but his attempt to make contact with the crew fell flat.

A video shared on X by the Belarusian media outlet NEXTA showed Putin, 73, failing to realize that the intercom he was using was one-way while asking the sailors if they could hear him.

Putin hasn’t been set up this badly in a long time! The elderly dictator addressed the sailors — but no one told him the communication system in the wheelhouse only worked one way “Hello, comrades, can you hear me?” he kept trying to call out to the men in uniform. pic.twitter.com/AOZzQ01Qya — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 2, 2026 The dictator sat in silence, awaiting a response that never came, before someone informed him that they could not respond to his remarks.

The Kremlin-controlled media omitted the faux pas from their reporting on the visit, as is typical of the government’s tight monitoring of Putin’s public appearances.

The mishap follows the Russian president’s address to students in a video released Tuesday, in which a dark bruise was visible on his hand.

Putin was seen partially covering the mark on his left hand with his right, similar to how U.S.

President Donald Trump frequently tries to mask the dark bruising visible on his own hands.

Three doctors told The Moscow Times the mark was likely where an IV had been inserted.

One Moscow ER doctor described the mark to the outlet as a “three-day hematoma after an injection.” Another doctor said it looked like a “sloppy injection.” An experienced cardiologist told The Moscow Times that the hand is not the first choice for IV injections, which are typically reserved for sites on the inner elbow.

However, they said the hand or wrist may be used in emergencies or when veins around the elbow have been overused or inflamed from prolonged IV treatment.

Putin’s health has long been the subject of speculation, given his age and his decades-long tenure as Russia’s president or prime minister.

The dictator dodged a question from Reuters in June regarding whether he would have the strength and stamina to remain in power until 2036, when he would be 83.

“Only God knows if we have enough health—for me, for you, and for everyone gathered here, in order to live until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and even more so to solve some of the tasks we face, to achieve the goals that we set for ourselves,” he said.